Heroes Rising
by RGZ Archer
Summary: After the defeat of the Yokai, life returns to normal for the people of San Fransokyo. But how long can it remain that way? A story of life and death, discovery and defeat, young love and loss, watch as this group of (not so) normal collage students are thrown into a new world, one of their own creation.
1. 1

Well here I am with yet ANOTHER story for yet ANOTHER series. Yeah, I know, it's looking more and more like I won't get any of my old stuff done, but really this is a good thing, after a good...what, five years? My muse and I are on speaking terms and she is giving me quite a bit to work with.

This story, obviously, is for the latest Marvel movie 'Big Hero 6' something that I was surprised by the quality of if I'm honest. It was quite a bit more...tame than the comics it drew source material from, and lacked some key iconic characters, but like several other more modern 'animated' movies it didn't restrain itself to what one would expect from say a kids cartoon. I was surprised and pleased by what I saw for the most part, with just a few small things that I felt should have been addressed but weren't.

Now, this story is going to be a little darker than a lot of my other works, but it's not going to be purely angst in nature. I'm going to be exploring the time between the ending and epilog, perhaps going further as well. I'm also going to be drawing from the original comics to fill in some gaps or add more depth to the characters themselves.

Last but not least, there is the pairing. HiroGo, yes it has an age gap, and that will both come up and play an important part in the plot as well as the overall story. How and why, you'll just have to read and see for yourself. So, I hope you enjoy this and I look forward to any reviews this might get. It might take me awhile but I will try to respond to them when I have time.

Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, it is the property of Marvel and Disney. If I did own it Sunfire and Silver Samurai would have been in it like in the comics and HiroGo would be canon already.

Note: There will be some additional information at the end of the chapter. With that out of the way, I am pleased to present Heroes Rising: Issue #1!

* * *

><p>Tossing the last piece of her bike into the dumpster, 'GoGo' Tomago slumped into the labs lone vacant stool.<p>

No matter what she did, nothing seemed to work. She had tried changing the design to make it more aerodynamic, but there was only so much that could be done to improve on what was already mathematically 'perfect'. The computers told her as much. There were no lighter metals or polymers that existed she could use for its frame. Tadashi showed her as much. The batteries were impossible to improve. Honey Lemon explained to her as much. The electrical systems and wiring was flawless. Wasabi had taken to copying it.

But the fact remained, it still wasn't fast enough. Not even close. Not by a mile.

In the two weeks that had passed since Professor Callaghan had been arrested and his daughter discovered alive, things had for the most part returned to normal for the students of SFIT.

Days came and went. Classes continued. Midterms loomed over the horizon.

And just like before, everyone was spiraling down into their own private worlds of isolation and solitude.

_'Whoever said silence is golden should be dragged out into the street and shot,'_ GoGo muttered to herself mentally. It was part of the reason she loved her bikes, they were an escape. The roar of an engine, the hum of the electromagnetic stabilizers, the sounds of passing traffic, to noises of the lab, the air ringing in her ears, all of it was THERE, it filled the void of silence and nothingness that was otherwise present.

Three times she had torn down and rebuilt her maglev bike this week and some part of her was vaguely aware that it needed to be ready for demonstration in a month. She didn't care though, to her it was simply a distraction, something she, like the others all needed now more than ever.

Honey Lemon had told the group she was going to develop a more effective fire retardant to replace the fire suppression systems currently used in most buildings. It was hard to understand her when she went into full 'babble' speak, but it wasn't too difficult to pinpoint the source of her new found goal and interest. Since then she had only talked to her once, her hair noticeably shorter and her bubbly personality seemingly popped.

Wasabi had taken to organizing and cataloging the schools inventory and the labs equipment. After the fire, he still hung out with them on occasion, but it was only the call to arms and opportunity to catch the one responsible for Tadashi's death that really brought him around again. With Callaghan imprisoned he all but disappeared into the depths of the campus warehouses.

Fred, she honestly wasn't sure how he was still alive, let alone on his feet. Everywhere she looked she saw him helping with something or someone with one outreach program or another.

It was just like back then, like before, when Tadashi had just been another face, another student, another nobody, just like them. But at the same time, it was different. To say he was their leader would have been a stretch as they actually did very little together as a group. None of them shared any classes together; each had their own interests, their own hobbies and their own projects. It would have been more accurate to say Tadashi was the glue that held them all together.

Before, they had just been themselves. Loners, oddballs, freaks that didn't fit in or trouble makers just trying to keep themselves busy. It had been all that they knew and they had become used to living in their own little worlds. Now however they were cooping, just trying to get by. Even when Tadashi was around they had been alone, but at least they had been alone together.

Now, Fred was empty, Wasabi was lost, Honey Lemon was hurting and she was afraid.

Not of slipping, not of falling back into her old life for once, but afraid for another person.

Hiro

The memory of him removing Baymax's medical chip and ordering him to kill Callaghan was still fresh in her memory, whenever her mind would start to wander it seemed to crop up. Professor Callaghan, as Yokai, had been difficult fighting to say the least, dangerous and effective with using Hiro's microbots as a weapon. Baymax had been in a class of his own; a nearly unstoppable Juggernaut that had taken their combined efforts just to plug his medical chip back in. She didn't think they could have stopped him otherwise.

Even if they had to.

His size, strength, armor, and combat programming hadn't been the main reason they had so much difficulty however. What slowed them, what made them hold back was it being Baymax himself. Not only was he the last shred of Tadashi left in the world, he was the life dream of their best friend, his legacy. Tadashi, the one who had found them and brought them together, offered them his friendship and gave them the closest thing to a family some of them ever had.

But what choice did they have? Callaghan was responsible for Tadashi's death, and for that he deserved to be punished, but not like that. The thought of Baymax being...polluted, perverted, twisted in such a way made them all feel ill, she most of all.

After Hiro and Baymax left them behind, and while waiting for the private chopper Fred had called to pick them up, the topic of what they should do had degenerated into a heated argument, one that revealed several tidbits of information she hadn't been aware of before.

* * *

><p>*Flashback*<p>

"I'm telling you, we should go to the police and let them handle this."

"The police? Are you serious? You think we can just walk in there and tell them 'Hey we thought you should know that our dead friends fourteen year old little brother has turned a nurse bot into a killing machine and is hunting down his brothers killer, who also happens to be officially dead. In fact, you were at his funeral weren't you? Professor Callaghan? Yeah, he's actually alive, he just blew up part of the campus to fake his death and steal a kids science project for some reason'. I'm sure that will go over great."

"Well it's not like we have much of a choice! We don't even know where they went, and since none of us can fly we can't just go looking for him!" GoGo snapped back.

"Ummm...I think he probably went home to fix Baymax's scanner," Honey Lemon offered, and fidgeted slightly when everyone turned their focus on her.

"What makes you say that?"

While far from shy, especially among their little group, the sheer heat radiating from GoGo's glare was enough to make anyone nervous.

"Because it...makes sense? We don't know what kind of damage Baymax's scanner took, so Hiro would need a lot of equipment just in case it's something serious. He doesn't have a pass card to get into ours since he never enrolled, and he probably wouldn't want to break into Fred's since it would bring the police. That just leaves his aunts garage."

For a few seconds, the only sound that could be heard was the wind blowing as the others digested the surprisingly easy to follow logic Honey Lemon had laid out for them.

"Great..sooo...like, okay, we know where he probably is, what should we-uh, GoGo, what are you doing?"

Said teen had her cell phone out and was holding up her hand towards Fred.

"Wait, you're not calling the police are you?!"

Before GoGo could even answer the costumed mascot, he knocked the phone from her hand and quickly stomped on it several times.

"Fred?! What the hell!"

"Hey, look, I know we're all kind of on edge right now, but you can't just go calling the police on him like that, Hiro's our friend, we have to help...uh...GoGo?"

Fists clenched and body trembling; the young bike currier took out her gum and stuck it to the side of her helmet.

"Uh oh" was all Fred managed to get out before she tackled him to the ground and started slamming him against the hard concrete. Later, Fred would thank Hiro for the high impact padding he had lined the costume with.

"YOU IDIOT! WHY DID YOU DO THAT!?"

Wasabi moved to pull the much smaller girl off of Fred, but he stilled when she viciously kneed his suit in the family jewels.

Fred would likewise remember to thank Hiro for the extra padded cup the suit had.

Between impacts against the ground Fred managed to get out a reply.

"I hAd to DO soMethIng to StoP yOu gOGO! DoN't yoU eVEr reaD tHe comIcs?!"

His response was just far enough out there to make her pause to figure out what he was trying to say. When that failed, she went for the only other solution she had.

"Explain!"

Slammed once more against the ground, Fred groaned. The suit absorbed a lot of the impact but not all of it, and despite her small size, GoGo was close to Wasabi in terms of strength when she was pissed.

"Remember what just happened back there?" Fred asked weakly, pointing back inside the bunker. "Hiro went off like that because he felt like Professor Callaghan stabbed him and his brother in the back. I don't want him thinking we did too, that might make him go dark side. We can still save him."

While she could see a degree of reasoning to Fred's argument, it carried the same fan boy quality almost everything else he said did.

"You think this is a game?! You think this is some kind of, comic book or something!? Hiro ordered Baymax to KILL someone, not stop him, not capture him, KILL him!"

"I know that GoGo, its why we have to help him! Everything is already stacked up against him, you push him and he's going to turn full blown super villain. Yokai is bad, but if Hiro turns, it will be a billion times worse!"

"Fred-" before she could even start on her retort GoGo found herself bucked off of the mascot who took the opportunity to pin her by her wrists.

"Callaghan is using Hiro's microbots. Hiro _invented_ those microbots, he made them, just like he made all of our suits. He's already got the brains and the background GoGo, all he needs is a reason, you give him that and I promise you he'll turn, and when he does the whole city will be in trouble."

**_*Gasp*_**

GoGo, Fred and Wasabi all turned to their fourth teammate in surprise. Unlike last time however there was no shy withdrawing of nervous fidgeting, only a look of pure horror.

"Oh my god, GoGo, Fred's right! We have to help him, we have to-"

"Whoa whoa whoa, time out, hold up, what are you two talking about?" Wasabi asked as his glance passed between Fred and Honey Lemon.

"Wasabi, please tell me you aren't taking their side?" GoGo would have face palmed were her wrists not still being restrained as it appeared the one remaining sound thinker in the group was being pulled away from her.

"Normally, no, I wouldn't, but we just got our asses kicked by a dead guy in a trench coat and Kabuki mask. At this point I'm not going to take any chances just because something doesn't seem possible."

Letting go of GoGo's wrists, Fred righted himself and offered her a hand to help her up, which she refused and got up on her own.

"Think about it from Hiro's shoes. His parents died in a house fire years ago. Then his brother died trying to save someone from a burning building. What would you do if you had that on you, then found out the guy your brother died trying to save not only survived, but staged his death just to steal your invention? His parents and his brother both died in a fire GoGo, people get hung up on stuff like that, it eats away at them and they think it's like, a curse or something," Fred explained.

The only member of the group that dared to do more than stare at the ground was GoGo, who was rubbing her right shoulder and deep in thought.

"It was a house fire?" It had been to herself, but apparently it had been loud enough that the others had heard it.

"You mean, you didn't know?" Honey Lemon asked, clearly surprised as GoGo shook her head.

"To be fair, I didn't know either," Wasabi admitted. "Tadashi never really talked that much about anything outside of his classes or how Baymax was coming along."

"That's not true, he talked about Hiro all the time," Honey Lemon defended, though she wilted under the other three's gaze. "Well...he talked about Hiro a lot whenever he talked to me," she amended."

Clearing her throat, GoGo licked her lips before asking the question now biting in the back of her thoughts.

"What exactly...happened? To his parents, I mean."

Fred and Honey Lemon had what seemed to be a silent conversation between them before he nodded and she looked away.

"I don't really know all the details, but he told me it happened eight years ago-" Fred was interrupted by Honey Lemon "It was ten years ago Fred, not eight." Fred squinted then shook his head. "Nah, it was eight years ago, because when I asked him about that huge scar on his leg he said he got it from a house fire eight years ago. We spent the whole night comparing scars."

Quirking an eyebrow Wasabi asked the obvious.

"Dude, when did this happen?"

"Remember that time Honey Lemon filled the whole Nerd Lab with that pink foam that smelled like pixie sticks?"

"That was two years ago Fred," Wasabi pointed out with a sigh, remembering that day all too well. It took him a month to get everything cleaned and organized again.

"Ohhh right, so like, I guess it was ten years ago then huh? But, yeah, he never said anything about it really, just that it was eight, err, ten years ago, and his parents died. I got the feeling it wasn't something he wanted to talk about, so I didn't bother him about it after that."

Seeing Honey Lemon's feet shifting, GoGo turned to her, and soon so did Fred and Wasabi. The chemistry nerd knew she knew more just from their gazes, and knew that she had to tell them. Swallowing, Honey Lemon took a deep breath to calm her nerves as best she could.

"It...was smoke inhalation. Their aunt and uncle were visiting and everyone was sleeping when the fire started," pausing she looked away for a moment before continuing. "Their parents and their uncle...Tadashi told me that they died saving them."

The impact from that piece of information hit the other three hard, and it was obvious that it was taking everything Honey Lemon had to keep herself together. The thought that his parents and his uncle had died saving him, his brother and aunt, only for his brother to die trying to save someone else, someone who didn't even need to be saved in the first place went a long way in explaining just where all the anger the young boy had came from.

_'If it was ten years ago, Hiro would have been three, maybe four when it happened. He wouldn't remember anything, but still...then to lose his brother the same way.'_ Trying to push down the pang of sympathy that was welling within her stomach, GoGo turned to the remaining three members of the group, each lost in their own thoughts.

"So what do we do Fred? You're the expert on this kind of thing."

If the others were surprised by her asking Fred of all people what they should do, they kept it to themselves.

Looking up at the night sky, Fred thought for a minute before replying.

"We have to show him that he's not alone, that we're on his side and we want to help him. He's super smart, and I think deep down he's still a good guy, but he's still just a kid, and right now he's really hurting."

"Kid or no, he tried to kill someone Fred, and part of me thinks he's been planning this from the start."

"Wasabi! Hiro is our friend, he'd never-" Honey Lemon's defense as well as the argument itself was brought to a halt with a single word.

"No."

As three pairs of eyes became focused on her, GoGo's hand dropped from her shoulder.

"I don't think Hiro wanted to kill him from the start, not after all the training we did to get that mask off."

"All the training **we** did while **he** made the giant rocket fist that can punch through brick walls you mean?"

Glaring at Wasabi, GoGo continued. "He only gave Baymax the kill command when we found out Yokai was Professor Callaghan. Before that, he never tried to use lethal force. As much as it pains me to say this, I think Fred is right, at least somewhat. Tadashi died trying to save him remember? Just like how his parents died."

"And...Professor Callaghan said that, that was Tadashi's mistake," Honey Lemon added, doing her best to remain composed. Wasabi's glare (though now pointed at the ground) hardened almost to the same point as Fred's. GoGo on the other hand could almost feel her nails digging into her palms through her suits gloves as Professor Callaghan's words echoed in her mind.

The momentary silence between the four was broken by the loud whooshing of jet wash, that while surprising to three of them barely registered with Fred.

"Uh, dude, I thought you said your family had a chopper, that's not a chopper," Wasabi pointed out as the modestly sized VTOL positioned itself above the group and began its descent.

"I asked Heathcliff to give us an emergency lift; I thought he'd take the chopper, didn't think he'd use the family jet."

As the four climbed into the aircraft, Fred told Heathcliff to step on it and head for Hiro's place. GoGo was preoccupied by the remark Honey Lemon had reminded them of. Now she couldn't stop hearing what Professor Callaghan told Hiro, what had started his rampage. Even as she took her seat they continued to haunt her. Like the others, she had heard them, but in the heat of the moment she had forgotten not only who they had been addressed to, but the circumstances involved. Now that she knew more about the Hamada family history, it just made them that much worse.

_"That was his mistake."_

Seeing her reflection in the window, she couldn't help but hear _her _voice again.

_"He made a mistake."_

The ride from the island to Hiro's had taken barely a minute as 'step on it' from Fred apparently translated to Mach two for Heathcliff; but over the course of that brief flight the voice had continued ringing in her ears, drowning out Professor Callaghan's completely. She was GoGo Tomago, she was a fighter, a survivor, and she didn't take crap from anyone. But when they arrived and she called out to him, when Hiro turned to her, his face, his eyes, she knew them, they were exactly the same as she remembered her own had been. Pushing that voice back to the depths of her mind had taken everything she had, and for that one moment of weakness she wasn't nineteen year old GoGo Tomago. She was twelve year old Leiko Tanaka.

*Flashback ends*

* * *

><p>Shaking herself to push away the memories of that night, GoGo arched her back and stretched out her arms with a groan. She felt...wrong, and she didn't like it. The nagging concern that gnawed away at the back of her mind, the guilt that was trying to nudge her was annoying.<p>

_'He hasn't bothered coming to class, or even registering for classes,'_ part of her mind reminded her, before adding_ 'Remember how excited he was about getting that scholarship?'_

_"Yeah, the same day his brother died. He was only applying here because of Tadashi," _she mentally countered.

Another part of her mind decided to weigh in on the conversation at that. _'If that's true, then why did Tadashi have to trick him into coming here? If he just wanted to be with his brother, he would have applied on his own wouldn't he?'_

She hadn't thought about it before, but now that she did, something did seem...off, like she was missing something.

They hadn't exactly been _close_ friends; but she remembered Tadashi mentioning Hiro on a few occasions. She just never really paid much attention, too focused on her bike if she wasn't working on something else. What little she could recall was that Hiro was a bright kid, graduated early, and spent most of his time hustling bot fights. It was only when she saw Hiro at the lab that night she realized Tadashi could have been a bit more specific when saying his brother had graduated _early_.

After Hiro came up with the idea of his microbots, Tadashi had managed to talk them into giving his brother a hand, each lending their respective expertise or just acting as a sounding board for him to bounce ideas off of in Fred's case. The rules strictly forbid them from directly helping him with his entry project, but there was no rule against answering general technical questions or pointing out fundamental flaws in an idea they might overhear someone talking about. As she had pointed out, it only went against the _intent_ of the rules, not the actual _letter_. Besides, it was an open secret among the students that everyone had someone help them out one way or another.

The Hamada weren't super rich, they didn't have any friends or family on the school board or who gave large contributions to the university either. Likewise they weren't related to anyone that was famous or important.

Not that Hiro actually _needed_ much in the way of help. Wasabi ended up being the biggest contributor in helping the young genius by virtue of the fact he had both a drivers license and owned a van that could carry large quantities of material. Her bike was fast, but couldn't carry more than a second passenger at best, Tadashi had a moped and Honey Lemon used public transportation.

Still, during that week she genuinely had a good time with the others. Tadashi was more excited and animated than she had ever seen him, Honey Lemon had a hard time keeping up with Hiro and understanding his mile a second thinking, Wasabi was doing something other than organizing a work station for a change, and she had an excuse to drive full throttle.

If Hiro needed to get a specific thing that was small enough to fit in her pocket, who was she to obey the traffic laws if it meant slowing him down?

More than that, Hiro actually knew their work and fields of study, perfectly cable of carrying on a conversation with any of them even as he was working. Whereas Tadashi _understood_ what they were saying, Hiro was able to _converse_ with them, even offer ideas for how to improve their projects.

She sighed wistfully as she shook her head. The day Hiro won that scholarship she had been happy for him, but more than that she had been happy for herself. He was the first person to ever really show an interest in her project, as the idea of a maglev bicycle wasn't something many considered useful or even worth perusing. His own project likewise had intrigued her; the way he managed to work out the microbots electromagnetic polarity to perfectly synchronize with each individual unit and prevent them from counteracting each other was a miniaturized solution to a problem she was still stuck on with her own project.

_"I was actually looking forward to him being here," _she realized.

She still remembered the last time she saw him, when they dropped him off at his aunt's place, how somber everyone's mood had been from loosing Baymax, Hiro most of all. He had been quiet the entire ride there, just as the rest of them had, but he had held together pretty well, just as he had at Tadashi's funeral. Honey Lemon had been right when she called him a brave little trooper.

The image of him getting out of the car, carrying Baymax's arm with him proved to be the last straw.

_"Damnit, I'm not going to get anything done if I can't stop worrying about him."_

Letting her face fall onto her table she groaned. She had been fighting and weighing what she should do since they left him that day. Contrary to what Honey Lemon had said, Hiro was _not_ their friend. He was at best an acquaintance, but she knew that he was hurting. Losing his brother had hit him hard, loosing Baymax had just put salt in the wound. They had tried to comfort him and console him after Tadashi's funeral, but he'd just locked himself away and ignored them.

For awhile they had debated among themselves if they should go and visit him or wait for him to enroll. Waiting had lead to them getting busy with their own class work, and as days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months, slowly but surely they had forgotten the young wide eyed boy that so briefly had been part of their lives. That was until the night they got 'the call' as Fred had taken to naming it.

They piled up into Wasabi's van and followed the GPS coordinates Baymax continued to feed them until they crossed paths at the docks. From there it had only been two days that their time together lasted. Spending the night and following morning making their suits, and then spending the afternoon practicing with them. From there they went to the island, found out what had really happened the night Tadashi died, and spent the rest of the night into the following day searching for Callaghan.

Part of her suspected the reason they had been so on edge that entire time was the fact none of them had gotten any sleep since the night before it had all started. Nearly seventy hours of no sleep coupled with nearly getting killed multiple times and only being able to stand on your feet thanks to several liters of energy drinks would set anyone on pins and needles.

Sighing once more she checked her cell phone and noticed the time, it was almost noon.

_"Hmmm, almost time for lunch..."_ Glancing around and seeing that the Nerd Labs other occupants were wrapped up in their own projects, an idea started to come together before her. It was simple, extremely simple, and best of all it was perfectly plausible if she needed an excuse. Rising from her stool, she slipped on her jacket and checked to make sure her keys and wallet were still where she left them.

She felt like coffee for lunch today.

* * *

><p>Archer's Soap Box (If anyone catches the reference you get a cookie!)<p>

And that's the first chapter; I hope you guys liked it!

Now, I know many of you are probably confused at why the cast is not a close tight knit group of friends in this story. The reason for that comes from the movie itself. As much as Tadashi meant to everyone, I honestly don't believe they were a group of friends as much as they were all friends of Tadashi that knew each other from the Nerd Lab. This comes from a number of factors.

First, nobody knew Fred was rich. While modesty could be an easy explanation, it struck me as odd that not one of them had any clue he was loaded. If they were all close friends, at least one of them would have been by his house I would think. Second, Hiro didn't know *any* of them, didn't even know their names. This tells me that none of them had ever been to the Lucky Cat Cafe before and Tadashi didn't talk about them to Hiro, or if he did it wasn't often. Third, the only one in the group that knew Hiro by name was Honey Lemon, so we can infer that Tadashi didn't talk about his brother with them either.

I'm not saying they weren't friends or close, I'm just building on them being friends in a sense of classmates that work together and get along well.

Another important point I'm sure many of you noticed was the addition of Hiro and Tadashi having an uncle that died along with their parents. This was done in an effort to make sense of how their aunt Cass (who is obviously not Asian) has the same last name they do, Hamada. In this story she is their aunt by marriage.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to PM me or mention them in a review. Until then, I'll see you guys and gals next issue!


	2. 2

"Greetings true believers and welcome to the exciting world of the Big Hero 6! Last time our intrepid heroine GoGo sensed that something was amiss with Hiro, her team's young leader whom no one has seen since their defeat of their arch nemesis, the dreaded Yokai. What secrets will be reveled? What new truths will be unveiled? What-"

"Uh, dad? Why are you talking to a cat poster?"

"Cat poster? Fred I'm talking to our readers."

"Dad, that's a cat poster," Fred pointed out as he eyed his father worriedly. "Did you forget to take your meds again?"

"...Excelsior!" _*Window shatters*_

"Oh man not again, moms gonna kill us! Heathcliff! Call the window repair guy!"

Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6, not even the DVD (yet). Any similarities between this story and works by another author is purely coincidental and not a conspired attempt at influencing the fan base in any way ;)

With that out of the way, here it is, hot off the presses! Heroes Rising: Issue #2!

* * *

><p>Fingers twitching as she waited, GoGo glared at the stoplight overhead as though it were her mortal enemy. Five miles, a journey that should only have taken a few minutes was turning into more than just a test of her patience.<p>

_'I swear it's like they time these things to slow me down on purpose.'_

Five miles, three turns, two railroad crossings and fourteen stoplights stood between San Fransokyo Tech and the Lucky Cat Café. She knew this thanks to her three years working as a bike courier, having memorized the majority of the cities layout.

Looking down, she petted her 2015 Kawasaki H2R Ninja in sympathy. It was beyond a crime, it was a sin for such a beast to endure this kind of torture. Sure she had a little age on her, but ten years had done nothing to diminish the once (and still) fearsome machine. Every light having caught them, both railroad crossings having not one but TWO trains and all three turns were also bus stops meant it barely had a chance to unwind. It was no wonder she hadn't been in this part of town for so long, she had forgotten just how painfully slow it was.

Seeing the light switch from red to green she throttled her bike, launching from the stoplight she could see the Lucky Cat Café looming before her, all she needed to do was-

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! EVERY SINGLE LIGHT!?"

Bearing down on the breaks she skidded to a stop as the lone remaining light changed before she managed to cross it. Adding insult to injury, looking to her side she saw the same beat up old blue car that had been in the lane next to her for the last seven lights. Its driver, an elderly woman who must have been pushing a hundred, hunched over the steering wheel with her face almost pressing against the inside of the windshield to see.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed her nerves and reigned in the itching desire to gun the light. She did _*not*_ need another ticket this semester, and she didn't want to get pulled over when she was so close to her goal.

She could see from the short distance remaining that the Lucky Cat Café was apparently a very popular lunch destination, as there were cars lined up and parked along the roadside, only one spot left that she could see.

_'And it's mine.'_

A blaring siren caught her attention and she quickly looked around for its source. She had been pulled over a few times for just about everything, but she had never been pulled over while _sitting_ at a stoplight, that would have been one for the books.

Soon enough she saw a car zipping down the other side of the highway, three police cars in pursuit. She watched as it ran though the intersection and careened around the corner, the police not far behind it.

_'Wonder what that was about?'_

Her musings were cut short when the car behind her blared its horn, making her look back ahead to see that the light had changed while she was watching the police chase.

The little blue car was no longer beside her.

Eyes widening in horror, she gunned the throttle, knowing, just know that the little old lady was going to the Lucky Cat Café; she could feel it in her bones.

The distance between them was only a quarter of a mile, she could make it, and she could still get that last metered spot.

Another siren filled the air and out of the corner of her eye she saw two more police cars incoming. She slammed the breaks as they ran the red light taking the turn, trying to catch up to the chase that had gone by only moments early.

Looking back up, she found her worst fears to be founded as the little blue car _attempted_ to parallel park between two large SUV's. First backing into the one behind it, then pulling into the one in front of it, before backing into the one behind it again. She winced in sympathy at the damage.

_'Where are the police when you really need them?'_ she bemoaned. The first time she had taken her motorcycle out in weeks and she was regretting it. Bicyclist got to use the pedestrian lane, they didn't have to worry about stoplights, and they didn't need a parking space.

Almost as though it heard her thoughts, the bike's turbocharger gave a mechanical while, as if to remind her _They don't have three hundred horsepower either._

Rolling down the street, she couldn't find a single place to park her beloved and found herself growing more agitated again. That was until a memory came to mind of a night only two weeks prior.

_'…they do have a garage…would it be wrong if I…'_ The question of whether or not it would be overly familiar to do such a thing was settled when she remembered what Cass had told them after Tadashi's funeral; that they were always welcome to stop by.

Her heart gave a slight tug at the memory, especially now given the circumstances of why she was here. Even as she mourned the loss of one nephew she was trying to help the other as best she could.

_'Stop beating yourself up over it; you made a choice, it was the wrong one, but that's why you're here now,'_ she reminded herself.

Pulling around to the back of the café, she wasn't surprised to see the garage door was closed, not with Cass working the lunch crowd and Hiro still too young to drive. Thankfully she didn't need much space and the small driveway leading to the garage was more than enough. Dismounting, she slipped off her helmet and left it on the seat. Ruffling her hair she gave herself a quick glance in the mirror and smirked. _'Not too bad, need to get a trim though.'_

Filing that in the back of her mind she quickly made her way around to the front of the building. She might have been given an open invitation to come around at any time, but she knew it would have made things awkward for her to just come in through the back entrance of the business 'living area' when she had never visited beforehand.

Sure enough she could see the place was indeed packed the moment she got around to the front. Of course it took a minute or two (or four) for the little old lady who had taken the last parking space to make it up the one step entrance of the café. Even on foot life seemed to find a way to slow her down.

As soon as the door opened she was assaulted by a literal wall of noise; the sheer number of people inside surprising her. Every chair, every table, every booth, wall to wall was _packed_. It didn't take her long to figure out why either.

Freshly baked pastries right out of the oven lined one side of the cash register counter, with homemade sandwiches on the other and a row of large coffee makers each the size of beer kegs behind the register. The combined scents of coffee grounds, chocolate, warm glaze and cold cuts was powerful on its own, but aided by the warm homely feel of the café it was like a small piece of paradise on earth. All it needed was free wifi and it would've been a daily pilgrimage for half of SFIT.

At least, that's what she thought at first. As seconds turned to minutes and the line barely moved, she could feel her patience starting to wane once more.

_'What is taking so long? This is worse than the DMV!'_

Tapping her fingers on her forearms was joined by a tapping foot. In an effort to keep her cool, mentally she started timing how long the intervals were between standing and moving in line. On average it was seventy four seconds for someone getting coffee and a pastry, ninety three seconds if they got a sandwich.

Finally after what seemed like an hour there was only her and the little old lady in front of her and she could see why it was taking so long. Or rather the two reasons it was taking so long.

Cass was running the entire café by herself.

That was actually the second thing she noticed. The first thing was how much Cass Hamada had...changed since she last saw her. She still remembered the first time she met the Hamada brother's aunt, and she still hoped that when she hit her early forties she might have such a figure.

Apparently she had gained a little...weight since they last met, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the source. Working the cash register with one hand, the other was holding a large half eaten sticky bun, which she took several bites out of while running up the little old ladies order. A minute and a half later, she was finally up.

"Good afternoon!" _*bite*_ "And welcome to the Lucky Cat Café, what would you like?"

For the brief moment that she had been frozen in place, Cass looked up at her before pausing, then narrowing her eyes in thought she spoke.

"GooGoo?"

Not able to help herself the teen chuckled.

"Close enough, its GoGo," she corrected with a small smile. The older woman returned it though she could see it was more forced than genuine.

"Well it's good to see you again; it's been awhile since I saw you or any of your little friends around, how is everyone?"

Before she could reply GoGo paused at the comment, then thought back and cringed.

_'We put Callaghan away two weeks ago, but last time any of us saw Cass was...'_

Tadashi's funeral

Yet another fault of theirs for waiting on Hiro rather than going to see him. He wasn't the only one that lost a family member that day.

Nodding, GoGo pushed the bitter thought aside.

"Sorry about that, after...the funeral we all just kind of...got busy with our classes," she replied lamely.

With a sad smile of understanding, Cass leaned over the counter and put her free hand on GoGo's shoulder before pulling her into a light one armed hug.

"Oh don't worry about it," releasing GoGo she did a quick scan of the café, an action that while not unusual did stick out to the teen.

"Something wrong?"

Pausing in place, Cass took another bite of her sticky bun before answering her.

"Nope, nothing's wrong, everything is fine here, why do you ask?"

Now she knew something was wrong.

Deciding not to beat around the bush any longer GoGo tilted her head towards the stairway in the back.

"Well, I had some free time and thought I'd drop in to check up on you _two_." The added stress on 'two' was unmistakable and thankfully the older woman took the hint.

Taking a deep breath, Cass frowned.

"Hiro is hanging in there, though...he ran into some...trouble a few weeks ago," she replied cryptically.

That got GoGo's full attention.

"What kind of trouble?"

About to take another bite from her sticky bun, Cass paused, glanced over GoGo's shoulder, then dropped it into the trash with a glare before motioning to the back as she put up a 'Be back in 5 minutes' sign on the counter.

Surprised, but now worried GoGo followed her around to the back and up the stairs she knew lead to the living area. She could see Cass waiting at the top of the stairs looking down, but not at her, not directly. She seemed to be looking for something behind her. Part of her wanted to look back over her shoulder, but another part of her was warning her that it wouldn't be a good idea.

Reaching the top of the stairs she was again surprised to see Cass close the door separating the living area from the café.

Biting her lip, Cass turned to face her before starting to pace for a moment, then pause, before resuming her pacing.

"I'm sure you saw on the news that Professor Callaghan turned out to be alive, and is not only being investigated for the..._incident_ at the university that...that," pausing, she took a moment to collect herself. Coughing then pounding one hand to her chest she continued. "I know that Professor Callaghan started the fire that killed my nephew," once again she paused both in speaking and pacing. Turning her full attention to the teen that stood before her she continued. "You know how he was arrested after what happened at Krei Industries a few weeks ago?"

Nodding, GoGo was surprised when Cass leaned forward and placed both hands onto her shoulders before whispering _"Hiro was there when it happened, he was one of the people that stopped him."_

GoGo's jaw dropped in surprise, but not for the same reason Cass thought. While no longer whispering, Cass continued speaking in a hushed tone.

"They haven't made it public yet, but he was part of the group that stopped the attack. I know the detectives told me not to talk about this, but I'm worried about my boy. Something is wrong, or, happening, I don't know what, he was...doing better, just a little there for a bit, he was eating again and he was talking to me, but then after the detectives came and questioned him and after they took those boxes he just...he's worse than he was after his brothers funeral now and I don't know what to do."

Blinking and shaking her head, GoGo tried to focus on just what questions she should ask. So many things were running in her mind that it was difficult to separate what was actually important from what wasn't.

_'Hiro didn't tell her about us helping him? But why? And why are the police only investigating-'_

With one hand on her shoulder, Cass sighed.

"There is something else, you need to know about...I know what I've done is selfish and it's not fair to you, but you need to know this." Closing her eyes and shaking her head Cass swallowed.

"Downstairs there is an officer...I don't know _exactly_ why he is here, but I suspect he is watching me, or Hiro, or both of us. He's been coming in here every day since they questioned us, first thing in the morning and staying until we close. The few times I've left to run errands since then I've seen another officer following me wherever I go."

Brow drawn together in thought, GoGo couldn't recall seeing any police while she was waiting in line.

"Are you sure? I didn't see any." It wasn't that she doubted the women. Well, it was. But she didn't want to come off as rude, not when she already had enough on her plate.

"Oh I'm sure. They might not be in uniform, but I recognize my regulars anywhere. The one downstairs has been ordering the same thing every morning for the last fourteen years. And I know it doesn't take eight hours to read the front page of the San Fransokyo Times. I'm more observant than people think, comes with raising two boys that like to take things apart and try putting them back together."

Snorting, GoGo suppressed the chuckle that tried to escape at the mental image of Tadashi and Hiro when they were younger.

"The minute you leave, they're going to question you. And if they don't, they will sometime soon. A lot of people were hurt when Callaghan attacked Krei Industries, and now the Governor, the police, and Krei are under the microscope. I don't know why they are so focused on Hiro, but I know its tearing him apart," pausing she gripped GoGo's shoulders with both hands. "I know that you only met him a few times, but could you please try to talk to him? You were close to his brother, so maybe...maybe he'll talk to you?"

Ah, there it was, an old and rather familiar grip in her chest.

Guilt

Between the pleading look in the older woman's eyes and the desperate tone her voice carried GoGo knew things must have been worse than she thought. For someone who professed to not be a parent, Cass sure wielded guilt like one.

She didn't even need a moment to make up her mind.

"I'll try, I owe him that much."

She had expected any number of reactions, but the bone crushing bear hug was not one of them.

"Thank you," breaking the hug she gave a sad smile. "I'm sure if he were here, Tadashi would thank you too."

_"Tadashi isn't the one I owe it to,"_ GoGo thought bitterly. She wasn't alone in that fault either. All of them had let down Hiro and Cass after the funeral. _"Some friends we turned out to be."_

Glancing at the clock over the small kitchen area Cass's eyes widened. "I need to get back downstairs! The twelve thirty crowd will be here any minute," pulling open the door she nearly bolted down the stairway, closing the door behind her as she went.

Though if it was to encourage her to stay or discourage someone else from snooping she couldn't tell.

_"Great, now **I'm** paranoid,"_ she thought as she blew a bubble with her gum.

Looking around the small living area, she thought back to the day of Tadashi's funeral, when they had returned with Cass and Hiro, partly to comfort them and partly to wait out the storm. She didn't know where exactly the boys rooms were, but she did remember Hiro disappearing up the stairs to the third floor.

Figuring that was as good a place to start looking as any, she made her way up the wooden stairs carefully, mindful not to make any noise if she could get away with it. It wasn't so much that she was trying to sneak up on the boy as she didn't want to disturb him. Something that was turning out to be extremely easy she noticed.

_'Wish the stairs back home were this easy,'_ she thought after giving several experimental shuffles and movements. They were solid as a rock and silent as one as well. The only way anyone would hear you coming or going would be if you fell.

She was brought out of her musings when she reached the top of the stairs and was met with an open doorway.

Poking her head inside she looked around, surprised to find it almost pitch black inside with no lights or open windows. There was a bed in the far right corner partly hidden by a paper screen, but there were no covers or comforters on it, just a bare mattress.

_"This must have been Tadashi's room, no wonder Hiro came here after the-"_

Her thoughts were ground to a halt as she took in the _left_ side of the room.

A large messy bed with an unmoving lump in the center.

Stepping into the room, she was careful not to make any noise as she looked around.

The first thing she noticed was how clean the room was, tidy, very well organized, especially for a teenage boy. But the more she looked, the more she realized that it wasn't clean, tidy, or well organized.

It was empty.

There were several book shelves, more on the right side of the room than the left, but there were no books on them. Just as the shelves lining the walls of the left side were almost completely bare. Both sides of the room had computer desks, but no computers, just printers and a lamp each. The only real thing that stood out in the otherwise empty room aside from the beds was the large clock on the wall.

Admittedly, she didn't know Hiro that well, but she knew that he had to have some interests, hobbies, something to occupy his time. There was no such thing as a clean or empty room when it came to men, double so when they were teenagers.

It didn't make any sense. This was the room of a teenage boy, where were the piles of clothes? The half finished projects? The movie posters? The toys? The bikini girl calendars?

Glancing back over to the right side of the room she guessed that it must have been for guests, Tadashi's room elsewhere in the building.

Turning her attention back on the room's lone occupant she tried to figure out the best way to go about this. Comforting others wasn't something she had a lot of experience with, especially with someone that seemed to just completely shut down and isolate themselves from the world.

After a few moments, when nothing came to mind, she decided to wing it.

Stepping around to the side he was facing, she carefully sat down on the bed. He moved, but only for a moment, a slight shift, but it was enough to settle _one_ fear, he was still alive at least.

With that in mind, she tapped his shoulder twice. It was more than a 'tap' but not quite a 'shove', more of a hard poke. His reaction was to groan then roll over onto his other side.

"Go-way, I'm not hungry," he half muttered half mumbled.

Smirking, GoGo leaned partly over him.

"Well that's good to know, cause I didn't bring you anything to eat."

_*Pop*_

If her voice didn't grab his attention, the familiar sound of chewing gum popping did.

Slowly, as though he had stepped on a landmine, the teenage boy rolled back towards her.

"Sup short stuff?"

_*Pop*_

Squinting, it took a moment for the image before him to come into focus.

"...GoGo?"

Giving a small smile she nodded.

"The one and only, now get up."

Instead of complying as she thought he would, he just stared at her before rolling back over away from her.

"Ust na dream ngin," he muttered.

Frowning, GoGo poked his shoulder again, this time harder.

"Oyi, what was that?" Her smile slipped into a smirk.

It was not a nice smirk.

"I could have sworn I heard you say 'dreaming _again_'.

That seemed to get his attention.

Turning over again, his eyes were slightly more open, more alert.

_*Pop*_

As seconds ticked by, she could see him slowly waking and becoming more alert. After a series of rapid blinks, he reached out with one hand and poked her shoulder.

"If you'd like, I could pinch you," she offered with a teasing smirk.

Face flushed red; he pulled the comforter over his head in embarrassment.

"Why are you-how are you in my room?"

Frowning more at his tone than his words, she grabbed the large comforter and yanked it back.

"Hey, I came all this way to see you and you're just going to hide from me?"

Despite the fact he was looking away from her, she could still see the light blush on his cheeks. She knew this was a delicate situation, one that required careful action and a mindful selection of wording. Grabbing him by the chin she turned him to face her and frowned.

Too bad she knew nothing when it came to 'careful' anything or a 'mindful choice of wording'.

"You're a teenage boy with a girl in his room, and you're giving her the silent act? Come on, spill, what's going on?"

Pulling back and pushing her hand from his chin Hiro turned away from her.

"Oh so now you're giving her the silent act _and_ pouting, real mature there kid." One way or another she was going to get him to open up. If nice wasn't an option and teasing wouldn't work, then she'd have to try a different angle.

"GoGo, you have to leave here, now, just, go, go and don't come back."

_"Stubborn huh? Two can play that game."_

Snorting, she turned away from him before flopping onto her back across his legs.

"First of all, I don't have to do anything," she started, ignoring his surprised yipping before continuing. "Second, I already know about you being in hot water, your aunt told me the story," pausing, she rolled partly onto her side so that she was facing him. "At least, she told me what you told _her_. Mind filling in some of the blanks? Like why the police are giving you such a hard time?" When she saw his expression darken she added "Or better yet, why you're the _only one_ the police are giving a hard time?"

The unspoken question would have been missed by anyone outside their little group.

When he didn't say anything she sighed.

"Something clearly is going on, I can see that much. Tell me what it is, I want to help you."

When he didn't say anything for nearly a full minute, she felt her patience beginning to slip again. Thankfully he seemed to get the message her glare was trying to convey.

"Look you d-"

Only for her to cut him off.

"Hiro, I swear if you finish that sentence with 'you don't understand' I _will_ make you eat your shoes."

His bewildered expression was met with the same stony glare she had been giving him since she entered the ring of the 'stubborn game' with him.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Fred."

Between her glare and deadpan tone, he didn't doubt her threat.

Trying a second time, he was cut off before he could utter a single word.

"And if you tell me it's complicated, I'll run you up STIF's flagpole by your underwear."

It took him a moment to close his jaw, but when he did she was happy to see a little bit of his old self flare up.

"Let me guess, if I don't believe you, ask Fred?" he snarked.

Glare mellowing into a smirk she shook her head.

"Nah, Honey Lemon actually."

Once again his jaw dropped, but this time accompanied by a healthy blush.

"Why Hiro, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were-"

This time, _he_ was the one to cut her off.

"Shut up!"

His reflexes were surprisingly fast, she didn't even see the pillow coming before it hit her square in the face.

Of course it did nothing to stop her laughter, nor did it have any effect on her now large smirk.

"Ohhh big boy Hiro wants a pillow fight does he?"

Twisting herself around she grabbed the pillow and brought it around like a sledgehammer.

"Doughf!"

Readying a second strike she grinned when she saw him reaching for his second pillow.

_"Hmm, should I let him or not..."_

Swinging the pillow again, she missed, only barely (and intentionally) giving him the chance to grab the other pillow.

She did not however give him a chance to swing it. A compromise between her two choices.

With a third swing she clocked him once again in the head, this time nearly hard enough to knock him out of the bed and onto the floor.

"Do you give up, or do you want some more?" she asked towering over him with her 'weapon' at the ready.

Seeing him release the pillow, she shook her head.

"Amateur."

_*Pop*_

"Never let your guard down!"

A fourth, fifth, and sixth blow rained down on the now defenseless teen. While it might have seemed cruel, she could hear his laughter between the blows joining her own.

Finally deciding he had enough, she tossed the now very worn and battered pillow off to the side before flopping back onto her back staring at the ceiling.

Several minutes passed after the laughter died down, the only sounds filling the air being their heavy breathing and an occasional chuckle.

"...thanks..."

"What are friends for?" she shot back without thinking. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him stiffen for a second before turning his gaze to the other side of the room.

"Nice room you got here by the way," she commented, figuring that maybe a little bit of small talk would help break the ice.

When his only response was a shrug she sat up.

"Seriously, you've got a nice place to yourself. My room wasn't even half this big back with my parents.

Something changed at that remark. She didn't know what or why, but it felt like the room suddenly got colder.

"Well, to be fair only half of it is mine," he admitted.

"Oh? Yeah I noticed the other bed, guest room or something?" she asked pointing towards the paper divider.

"...something I guess. That was Tadashi's side of the room."

GoGo nearly swallowed her gum when she heard that. Pounding on her chest with one hand as she coughed, she could feel it stuck in her throat.

"Hey you okay there?"

Seeing that her only response was to continue coughing and pounding on her chest, Hiro moved out from his bed around behind her. Just as she was beginning another round of coughing she felt him slap hard against her back.

The gum flew out of her mouth and into the hand she had been covering it with.

"Sorry"

Turning to look behind her she frowned.

"Sorry? For what?"

If his admission hadn't confused her, then his expression did.

"For almost making you choke to death on chewing gum?" he explained.

Turning back to look at the piece of gum in her hand, she shrugged and popped it back into her mouth, ignoring the look of confusion, surprise and mild disgust Hiro was giving her.

"It would take a lot more than that little piece to choke me, it was just...stuck," she defended.

"Right, and I'm the Queen of England."

Turning over to face him and settling onto her knees, she offered him an (un)sincere smile.

"Well then, I thank you, your Majesty," GoGo offered with a deep bow.

She could hear his eyes rolling.

"I will admit you surprised me though..." pausing she looked past him to the other side of the room."The two of you shared this room?" Seeing him nod she continued. "How long?"

"Uh, ten years? Give or take a few weeks, err...months?"

_"Ten years...they shared this room ever since Cass took them in?"_

Frowning she looked around the room and once again picked up on just how barren it was. Ten years was a long time for two boys to live in a room and not fill it up.

Seeing her gaze as it scanned over the room, Hiro sighed.

"I know what you're thinking, no, this isn't the way it normally looks," Hiro admitted warily.

Shifting her legs out from under her to over the side of the bed, she patted the spot next to her.

"Your aunt told me that there is some kind of an investigation going on? That why your room looks like this?" she asked, gesturing towards the empty shelves and book cases.

Settling down a short distance from her, he nodded.

_"I don't know if he knows everything...but he knows a hell of a lot more than he's telling me."_ Giving him the once over, she couldn't for the life of her figure out what was going on. Tadashi told her that he was always a bit nervous around people he didn't know, but he had been so open before, a real little chatter box once they got to know each other a little better. So why the sudden change? It didn't make any sense.

"Since you aren't going to tell me anything, I guess I'll just have to pry it out of you," she said out loud, more to herself than to him but it got his attention all the same.

"According to your aunt, you helped stop Callaghan from completely destroying Krei Industries newest branch office; somehow the police found that out and have been giving you the third degree. She also told me that there is a cop downstairs that's been there every morning since they questioned you, and another one follows her whenever she leaves. Then there is her little warning that the police are probably going to question me just because she talked to me."

_*Pop*_

"Hiro, if I'm going to be dealing with the cops again, I'd at least like to know _why_."

"Again?" he asked in confusion.

Shrugging she smirked. "I'm the nice girl Hiro, not the good girl. Had a few...run ins over the years," she admitted as she rose up off the bed and started to walk around the room.

"What for exactly? Speeding?"

His curiosity was cute, even if the attempt at directing the conversation away from him was getting annoying. Still, she figured she might as well have some fun with him.

"Among other things. Speeding, failure to yield, reckless and dangerous driving, trespassing, breaking and entering, grand theft, grand theft auto, assaulting an officer, resisting arrest..." pausing she looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "Oh, and shop lifting. But that was an accident."

The only way to describe his expression was stunned stupid.

"What? The jacket was exactly the same as the one I was wearing, I put the wrong one back on the coat rack, it was an honest mistake."

"A-and all the other stuff?" he asked, trying to wrap his head about what she had just openly admitted not a minute ago.

_*Pop*_

"I told you, I'm the nice girl, not the good girl, big difference there."

"No way, I don't believe you," he said shaking his head, though it was difficult to tell what he was thinking by his expression.

"Tell you what, how about a trade? You tell me what the cops are going to be bugging me about, and I'll give you a copy of my mug shot."

After taking a few moments to digest everything she had told him, he sighed.

"Fine, but...be careful, what you say to anyone."

Moving back to the bed she sat next to him, a little closer than they had been before.

"You tell me what's going on, and I'll take care of myself. Now start from the top, what is going on?"

Slumping forward, his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands, Hiro groaned.

"Before I tell you anything, I thought you should know that Aunt Cass hasn't had a chance to spray anything for the last month, so there might be a few roaches," he warned.

Giving him an odd look (that he obviously couldn't see) she tried to figure out just why he would tell her that of all things.

"You already know that Professor Callaghan is alive, that he didn't die in the fire that killed Tadashi."

She was about to remind him that obviously she knew Professor Callaghan was alive, but she was stopped by a surprisingly strong grip on her knee.

Shooting him a questioning look, his only response was to shake his head, releasing his hold on her before continuing.

"He wanted to steal my microbots after he saw what they could do, so he set the fire and faked his death," Hiro explained bitterly. "He copied my design, and mass produced them, trillions of them in an abandoned warehouse down by the docks."

There was something about the look in his eye, she didn't know what it was, but she could see it, some kind of message, almost like a plea, but for what?

"Do you know why he did it? Why he faked his death? Why he stole my microbots?"

Brow furrowed, she was surprised to see him hold up his hand and wiggle his fingers in front of her. After doing this for a few seconds, he pointed at the large clock on the wall, and then moved his fingers again.

_"What is that suppose to be? A spider? Why would he..."_ Hiro's warning that his aunt hadn't sprayed for anything jumped to the front of her mind.

_"BUGS!? They bugged his room!?"_

Shaking her head numbly she tried to form a coherent sentence.

"Uh-oh, I mean, no? Why?" she asked, slowly starting to put the pieces together.

"Ah that's the kicker. Apparently he and his daughter were part of some super top secret military project that screwed up five years ago. She got sucked into some kind of weird portal thing and the building blew up," he continued while GoGo face palmed at what he had just said if his room was indeed bugged. "He stole my microbots to put the thing back together and use it to destroy Krei Industries new branch office, some kind of twisted sense of irony or karma I guess."

Clearing her throat, and cringing at the thought of just how big of a can of worms this was, she spoke.

"So what does that have to do with you exactly? If you helped stop him doesn't that make you a hero or something? Why would the police be giving you trouble?" Feeling a sense of indignation at the thought of Hiro being given grief instead of praise over his actions, she decided to push it things a little. "They afraid you're going to put them out of work or something?"

Yet again Hiro's jaw dropped because of the bike courier, though this time for a completely different reason.

_'Did she NOT get my warning?! I couldn't make it any simpler!'_ This idea was soon countered by a second thought. _'Maybe she did get the warning and just doesn't care?'_

Snickering, more from the realization that GoGo likely didn't care what the police heard her say than the remark itself, Hiro shook his head.

"I wish, then I could just get Aunt Cass to bribe them with free doughnuts for life," he joked, earning a chuckle from GoGo. Unfortunately, like all good things for him it seemed, the good mood came to an end.

"The reason they're investigating me is they think I was in on his plan, that I was helping him, or something."

Like a gunshot, there it was.

"What?"

"Yeah, after Callaghan was arrested, he told them that the microbots were mine and that he stole them. Turns out that having a rap sheet for illegal bot fighting can come back and bite you in the ass."

"But that-that's crazy! They think that you helped that psycho?!"

"Yeah, helped being the key word. They don't believe either of us apparently."

"Either of you?"

"Me or Callaghan. They don't think I could make something like that on my own, and they don't think he stole them from me."

The venom from the last statement caught her off guard.

"What do they think happened?"

With a look twisted somewhere between a glare and a scowl, he answer her.

"They think Callaghan hired me, and paid me to help him make them."

"Okay, you lost me, _where_ did they pull that out from exactly?"

Groaning Hiro flopped onto his bed.

"After I helped stop him I went and took most of the money I had been saving up over the last year and opened a checking account. I thought it would be a good idea to let it sit there and gain some interest instead of keeping it hidden in a cookie jar under my bed."

"And...that made them think you were helping Callaghan _why_?"

"Because it was almost four hundred thousand dollars."

_*Pop*_

"Yeah, probably should have been depositing it from the start."

Once again trying to digest all of this, GoGo shook her head. This was wrong. It was beyond wrong.

"So they have you under house arrest or something? Is that why you never enrolled?" she ventured.

If anything his mood seemed to drop even more at her question.

"No, nothing like that...exactly. I'm not under house arrest; they just...follow me anywhere I go if I try to leave. Pretty much makes it impossible to even try hustling bot fights you know?" he joked dryly. He took a moment to think before answering the second part of her question.

"As for why I never enrolled...I just...don't have any reason to...not anymore."

Frowning she joined him in laying across the side of the bed, head resting in her palm facing him as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Why not? I mean, it's a great opportunity. If you have a degree from SFIT it's basically a golden ticket. You could do anything or be anything. A lot of people would kill for that kind of start to their future."

_*Snort*_ "Future? My future is going to be sitting in an eight and a half by eleven cell for the rest of my life. Knowing my luck, even if they don't convict me I'll get sued by Krei because it was my microbots that destroyed his new building."

"Gee negative much? What happened to that kid me and the others helped get that scholarship a few months ago?"

"He got screwed over by life enough times to figure it all out."

Raising an eyebrow she chuckled.

"Figured it all out? Like what? The meaning of life?"

With a shrug he continued staring at the ceiling as he spoke. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that. Or just how the universe works. I thought I had it figured out after Tadashi died, but I was wrong, I didn't see the whole picture. Now I do."

"Then please, do share this enlightenment with me." It was suppose to be a joke, something to try and snap him back a bit like she had before. Unlike the last two times however, it didn't work.

"It's pretty simple really. As long as you don't want anything, you can do whatever you want. But the minute it actually means something, you lose it. Unless of course you made it, then it gets used against you and anyone else you care about."

Frowning, GoGo reached out to Hiro's shoulder.

"Please tell me you don't really believe that."

Shrugging her hand off of him he got up from the bed and walked over to his brother's side of the room. Standing there he held his hands out to his sides.

"Why shouldn't I? I mean, I've pretty much managed to prove it. I was bot fighting for almost a year because I was bored, but I only got caught when I started caring about it. I built bots just to give me something to do, but when I actually had a _reason_ to make them? This is what happens!"

Rising from her spot on the bed GoGo's frown grew.

"Hiro, what happened wasn't your fault."

"Wasn't it!? I only wanted to get into SFIT because I found out Professor Callaghan was teaching there! I idolized him for years, ever since I got interested in robotics; it was his work that I always followed. I didn't even know he taught at SFIT before Tadashi took me there three months ago, which I might add happens to be the reason I actually started getting along with and actually caring about him!"

Seeing the small trimmers passing through his body, GoGo closed the remaining distance between them in the blink of an eye.

"It's all my fault, it _*sob*_ Tadashi is dead because of me! _*sniff*_ **IT'S MY FAULT!**"

Just as she had that night in the garage two weeks ago, she didn't think, she acted. Pulling him to herself she felt him in her arms, not a boy, not a young man, but a person, one broken by the pressures of a cruel world. She knew that there had been a missing piece, something she had missed, overlooked, or just didn't know.

Now she did. And knowing that truth felt like someone twisting her heart in two.

Like Hiro, and his brother, she too had looked up to and admired Callaghan. Not for his research and advances in the field of robotics, but for his contributions and advancements when it came to magnetism and electromagnetism, the very foundation of her own project, the only answer she had been able to find that could help her.

For one reason or another, each of them had looked up to the man, respected him, or admired him and his work. Similarly, each of them had felt betrayed when he turned out to be the Yokai.

One hand on the back of Hiro's head, pulling him to her, while the other was rubbing small circles on his back, she rested her chin on his head and held him as tight as she could. It all made sense now, just why Hiro hadn't enrolled, if not avoided SFIT all together after the fire. He hadn't just lost his brother that day, he lost his idol too.

_'To have the person you look up to, someone you admire and idolize for years steal your work, that you made to impress them because you wanted to study under them, then turn around and use it like he did."_ Squeezing Hiro tighter she could feel his breath hitch.

_'The way he sees it, if he never made those microbots, Tadashi and Baymax would both still be alive, and Callaghan would still be on some golden pedestal to everyone."_

As she felt his hands circle around her, she looked over at the right side of the room.

Tadashi's side of the room.

_'He blamed himself for his brother and idol dying, then spent three months locked up in here...oh Hiro.'_

Ten years. For ten years the brothers had shared this room. Even if Hiro hadn't always looked up to him or even got along with him, there were ten years worth of memories here, and with everything else gone now, those memories were all that was left.

_'This cannot be healthy for him. Sharing a house would be one thing, but sharing a room? For that long? He needs to get out of here, at least out of this room.'_

He needed help. It was plain as day that there was a lot going on, something big was cooking and it wasn't going to be good for any of them, Hiro especially. But right now that was the last thing on her mind.

* * *

><p>Stan's Soap Box (Since I doubt anyone would get it, that means I get to keep the cookie!) *Eats said cookie*<p>

Face Front, True Believers! It's time for some questions from our readers.

**riley chapter 1 . Jan 15: **Oh my goodness. You got them all perfect. Please continue this story

Why thank you riley! It is always our goal to insure our characters are as close to their on screen or in print portrayal as possible here are Archer studios. To hear that we got them all perfect is indeed the highest of praises. We will continue this story for as long as we can.

**Urazz chapter 1 . Jan 15: **Truth be told, the group probably wasn't too close but probably did hang out together every now and then so you could say they were friends with each other but probably weren't at the stage of friendship where you know most things about a person.

And I do think that they could've gone to the Lucky Cat Café a few times but Hiro wasn't around then. Hiro was graduated out of high school for about a year when the movie happened so we could easily assume that he could've been in school if they knew each other for more than a year or Hiro was out bot fighting when they came over.

As for Aunt Cass, if I recall Hiro and Tadashi are half-Asian so their mother or father probably looked more like Aunt Cass. If not, then you could be right as well and that Aunt Cass is their aunt through marriage.

That is partly where the idea for this story comes from actually. Throughout the movie we heard the characters claim they were close friends, and that Tadasi was their best friend. Yet their actions and words seemed to indicate otherwise. One of the primary goals of this story is to explore various relationships, including friendship, and show just how far off many people are when it comes to how they view them.

As for the others coming to the Lucky Cat Café, if they had, given how unique they were, it would be difficult to believe Hiro not seeing them or remember seeing them at least once. This goes with the idea of how many people don't truly know what it means to be a friend anymore, especially a 'best friend'.

Hiro and Tadashi are both half Asian, you are correct. But you are forgetting one simple thing, Hiro, Tadashi, and Cass all share the same last name, Hamada. It's plain as day that Cass is not Asian, at all, yet her last name is indeed Hamada, same as Hiro and Tadashi. This means she was either their fathers adopted sister, or she was married into the family.

**Mark chapter 1 . Jan 16: **Huh. I thought most the group looked like 17-18. Since most, would have also been geniuses, I pictured them as more like 17 though Fred? Who knows haha. Forget if you mentioned. But you decided their ages by guessing or? Whatever you decided cool. Can't wait for the next chapter!

Most of the characters ages have never been revealed, with only two exceptions. Hiro we know is 14 and Fred we know is in his 'mid twenties' (thanks to supplemental materials). What we decided to do was base the characters ages on the complexity and sophistication of their projects as well as their careers (again given to us through supplemental materials). So GoGo, who is working on a maglev bicycle and is a bike courier, is going to be younger than say, Wasabi who is working on plasma field generation and is a sushi chef.

That's all for now, but be sure to pick up your next issue when they hit the stands! Until then, always remember, Excelsior!


	3. 3

"Greetings True Believers! And welcome back to the exciting world of the Big Hero 6! Last issue the daring GoGo Tomago learned that not all is well with the Hamada household. Now at the precipice of a brewing storm, one that will change the course of history and time itself, the teams young leader has chosen to protect his friends and team at the cost of his own freedom. But now that she knows of his plight, will the rebellious and spirited young woman be able to help him?"

"There he is! Get him!"

"Until next time, Excelsior!"

*Blasts off into the sky*

"Where did he get a jet pack?!"

"Fire extinguisher! Fire extinguisher! Someone get a fire extinguisher before it spreads!"

"Dad! Come back! You forgot your pants!"

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that appear in this story, other than any OCs that might pop up from time to time. Any named character that appears in this is like Big Hero 6, the property of Marvel and Disney.

With that out of the way, please enjoy Big Hero 6, Heroes Rising: #3!

* * *

><p>Racing through the streets, GoGo dodged angered pedestrians and drivers alike. Glancing down for only an instant she checked her watch.<p>

4:25

This was bad, very bad, and for once it wasn't her fault.

Swerving her bike in a hard turn she barely managed to avoid running into some poor guy walking half a dozen dogs, all of which were now barking and pulling hard at their leashes wanting to chase after her as she headed down the alleyway. Peddling as hard as she could, a familiar burn started developing in her knees and thighs as the ache in her chest blossomed into full blown pain.

Ignoring it the best she could, she pushed her body to its breaking point.

She had to make it, she had to, failure was not an option.

Pulling out of the alleyway she leaned sharp and nearly fell off her bike, using her foot as a pivot point to prevent her from falling over, she cursed under her breath. She was still up, she was still moving, but the loss of momentum was going to be nearly impossible to build back given what lay before her.

'The hill'

_'More like the freaking mountain,'_ she thought. Standing, she used her body weight to help propel her bike forward up the steep incline. Were it not for the burning fire in her lungs she would be shouting any number of choice curses or obscenities, but as she was, she couldn't even spare the breath to mutter them. Part of her brain was struggling just to _think_ them.

Needless to say, today was not a good day for her.

Sure things had started out fine, normal if not a little boring, but then she just had to go and do something stupid. She had to go and see _him_, she had to go and open her big mouth and ask if there was anything she could do to help him.

Hence her current situation.

Sweaty hair sticking to her face like a damp cloth and leather jacket sticking to her like a second skin, for the hundredth time in the last hour she wondered if it was really worth it.

A chirp from her watch drew her from her thoughts.

4:26

Four minutes, four minutes was all she had left. There was no way in hell she was going to make it and she knew it.

But that didn't mean she wasn't going to try.

Glancing up she took a quick glance around. It was the middle of the day, broad daylight, but she didn't see anything that might be a problem.

_'Doesn't mean there isn't any,'_ her brain reminded her before she continued ignoring it.

Hopping from her bicycle she quickly pulled the bike lock from her belt and chained it to the first thing she found, (ironically, a no parking sign) as she continued to survey her surroundings to see what she had to work with. Dialing up her GPS again just to double check, she was on the right street at least, it was a straight line from where she was to where she needed to be. The only problem was the distance she had to cover.

She needed to cross five blocks to reach her destination, and it was the middle of rush hour. The roads were barely moving, sidewalks were packed, and she needed to catch her breath. Finally an answer came to her, literally from above.

_*Pop*_

Smirking, she hefted her backpack and bolted up the steps of the apartment complex she had 'parked' in front of and quickly made her way through the lobby. Never in her life had she been so happy to see an elevator before.

Ignoring the looks from the other occupants, she hit the button for the top floor and took the brief moments rest to catch her breath.

_*Ding*_

Stepping out she checked her watch again.

4:27:33

_'Thirty five floors in a minute half, not bad,'_ she thought with an approving nod as she continued through the top floor seeking her quarry then smirking when it came into view.

_Rooftop Access_

As she headed up the short flight of stairs she wondered if anyone in her position had ever considered such an option before.

That of course made her worry what _he_ would do if she found out.

Shuddering she pushed the thought to the back of her mind as pushed open the door that would prove to be the gateway to her only option, the only chance she had in pulling this off.

Moving to the edge of the rooftop she took a second to gauge everything out. The rooftop was covered in gravel, that was a negative, loss of traction and increase in both time and distance needed to reach top speed. There was also a seventeen inch high parapet along the outer rim she estimated to be about five inches wide. Leaning over the edge she could see that the next building was only about five feet away and was a good ten feet lower. Both of those were positives, the short distance meant a minimal loss of momentum while the ten foot drop would actually give her a boost. Raising her eyes she noted that the buildings were each shorter than the previous, another bonus, all except the one she estimated to be her destination, which in fact was taller than the one she was on now.

_'Well, that's still a plus, just a different kind,"_ she thought with a growing grin.

_*Pop*_

She was already warmed up, and closing her eyes she could feel a slight breeze blowing, but nothing to really worry about.

Glancing back at her watch, she could feel it.

4:28:01

At first it was an itch, but it quickly turned into a tingling, then a burn that spread throughout her body. The surge of adrenalin she hadn't felt in weeks coursing through her veins like a wildfire.

Closing her eyes as she walked to the opposite end of the building, she hopped up onto the parapet. It was narrow, but the bricks provided a lot more traction than the loose gravel, and this way she wouldn't have to worry about the knee high barrier.

Reaching out with her senses, she focused them, narrowed them, blocking out the sounds of the street below, her eyes opened to a world void of distractions. There was no elevation, there was no turning, there were no obstacles.

There was only the line.

From still to motion, her body flipped into autopilot as one foot fell in front of the other, propelling her forward, faster and faster with each step.

There was a gap, a distance from where she was to where she wanted to be. Without breaking her stride she leapt from the end of the parapet and landed on the roof of the next building on all fours, pushing herself with her hands and feet three steps as she rose back to her full height. Pumping her arms as hard as she could and pushing with her bodyweight into each stride she could feel herself gaining speed.

Speed was good.

Racing across the roof of the building she could see its end quickly approaching, ten feet, four steps. Gaze lifting ever so slightly she could see the next building was level with this one.

_'Same height, ten foot range, maximum altitude minimum drag, minimize loss.'_

Crouching at the lest step as she reached the end, she leaned forward into the jump, thrusting out her hands ready for what was to come.

Impact, hard, but manageable, she felt the pressure of her landing on her wrists but ignored it and allowed her forward momentum to carry her body forward into a summersault, pivoted on her hands and landed in a half cartwheel then broke into a full run without missing a beat. She could feel a slight loss in speed, but it was nothing she couldn't make back up in the distance between her landing and the end of the roof.

_'Air conditioners and air ducts, problem.'_

No way around it, she was going to loose speed, and that meant loosing time. All she could do was minimize how much.

Leaping from the roof she landed on the next, only four feet to the first duct, but it was all she needed. Planting her hands on the rim she vaulted, tossing her lower body over it and carried the motion forward, throwing her arms to the ground into a hand spring, she pushed off and threw herself over the second duct, nailed the landing and shifted into a forward flip stance. Two steps and half a hop on her right leg she pushed off and flipped over the third duct, landed in a crouch and pushed off with her full body weight as she jumped to the next roof, which thankfully was a long flat surface.

Using the chance to pick back up the precious speed she had lost from the last roof top, she continued to push herself as her grin morphed into a full blown smile.

To her, this was life, the definition of living.

Clearing the fourth and fifth buildings with ease she made quick work of the sixth, seventh and eight roof tops just as quickly and just as easily.

_'No traffic, no people, no crosswalks, no stop signs, just my own private express lane,'_ she mused as she plummeted twenty feet, embracing the wind as it whipped her short hair wild before coming to an abrupt end as she tumbled the landing on her shoulder and rolled to her feet without stopping. Charging across the roof her mind continued to focus on the line before her, putting everything else out of sight and out of thought.

She needed this. It was the only way she was going to get through it.

Vaulting over another air conditioner she felt a familiar twinge in the back of her mind. One that had been bothering her since this had started.

_'Is this really worth it?'_

Pushing the thought aside and ignoring it as best she could she lunged from the edge to the next building.

_'You heard what he said,'_ she argued back to the dissenting voice that was bothering her. Trying to focus on the good, the speed, the wind, the air.

The freedom.

_'Freedom? Hypocrite.'_

There it was again, nagging at her, but once again she brushed it aside, she was doing what she had to, what she needed to.

What had seemed like a brief internal argument she quickly realized had taken more time than expected as her watch gave a warning chirp.

4:29:00

_'One minute left'_

Thankfully the end was in sight, all that remained was the final building itself, the one she was quickly approaching.

_'Its a hell of a lot higher than I thought it was,'_ she noted as it came closer and closer with each footfall.

She didn't know exactly where she had to reach was part of the problem, but based on the number she had been given, she knew it was somewhere near the middle of the building.

To go from the top and work down or start at the bottom and work up?

With only moments to make up her mind, she decided on the 'safer' route, or at least the one more likely to get there in the time she had left.

Throwing herself over the end of the building she latched onto the fire escape of the apartment complex, then swung over to the ladder and held hard.

_'I've always wanted to do this.'_

With a smile stretching from ear to ear, she gave several rough jerks to the ladder until it came loose.

A clang, more like a loud 'bang' filled the air as the emergency fire escape ladder dropped down. Just as it was about to stop she let go and grabbed the next ladder, the impact of her landing combined with her body weight causing it to give way and drop like the one before it.

_'THIS!'_

Releasing her hold, she fell several feet, skipping the next ladder but grabbing the one after it.

_'IS!'_

Letting go, she dropped down several floors before grabbing onto the last ladder and rode it to the ground below.

"AWESOME!"

Blinking in surprise she turned to find a group of young kids staring at her with wide eyes.

_'Look familiar?'_

"Shut up brain, before I stab you with a Q-tip" she muttered under her breath before turning to leave the kids and continue on her way. She paid their shouts no mind, there was little time left and she was _close_.

Getting into the elevator she checked the small note she had been given a second time and hit the button for the twentieth floor, then slumped against the wall and leaning heavily onto the handrail she felt it.

The downside was hitting her now, the burnout, hard.

Her feet were literally on fire. Her knees were crying in pain from the rough landings, jumps, and nonstop running, her back was killing her and she knew that tomorrow she was going to feel like the living dead.

Still, it had been worth it.

_'Is it?'_

Gritting her teeth she continued ignoring it, watching the floor indicator above her tick away until finally with a ding the door opened.

_*Pop*_

Glancing at the note again, she saw what she was looking for, 'room 2088'. Though at the end of the hall was something unwelcome to say the least.

Police

_'That cannot be good.'_

_'Really? No dip, when are cops ever good!'_

Pushing the two quarreling voices aside she was even more surprised to see paramedics leaving the room, with a stretcher. The man they were taking out appeared to be unconscious, but at least he wasn't in a body bag.

Looking at the run of the numbers on the doors she felt a snake of suspicion coil in her stomach.

_'You have got to be kidding me.'_

Sure enough, the number on the apartments door read '2088'.

One of the officers standing outside happened to notice her watching and gave her a curious look before telling something to another officer and approaching her.

_'Bad...really bad.'_

Deciding to do her best *not* to look suspicious she glanced passed the officer with a frown before giving him her full attention.

"What happened to him?" she asked in what she hopped was a casual tone.

Stopping before her the officer gave her the once over.

"Gentlemen had a heart attack, took a nasty fall, but he's stable. Might I ask why you are here miss?"

_*Pop*_

Frowning she thumbed the large patch on her jacket. 'Express Deliveries'

"Had a package to deliver, to that apartment actually..." she explained as she shrugged off her backpack and unzipped it, producing the shoebox sized package she had been carrying around with her. There were others, but this was the only 'Top Priority' package she had.

"I don't suppose now would be a good time though?" she asked warily. Of course the look the officer gave her made it plenty clear without any actual response being needed.

Once again looking over the officers shoulder she frowned again before producing a clipboard and pen.

"Look, I've still got a lot of stops to make, but I cant make them till this one is actually delivered, they paid extra for rush priority. Could you sign for it and I'll just be on my way?"

The incredulous look she got wasn't exactly what she had been hoping for.

"Not that I'm completely heartless or anything like that," _'Really?'_ "but I'm really kind of...you know, expendable? I need this job, and my boss is always itching for a reason to fire anyone that's been around for over a year to cut down on overhead. I'd really rather not have to start looking for a job this close to winter break."

With a disapproving frown and a sigh the officer took the clipboard and signed for the package. Ripping the pink copy slip from it she handed it and the package to the officer before turning on her heel and making her way back to the elevator.

As soon as the doors were closed she let out the breath she had been holding since stepping out, hunched over and rested her hands on her knees.

What she told the officer wasn't a lie. It just so happened to be a little twisted and turned to her advantage. It was true that her boss was always looking to cut down on overhead, and mostly that meant booting people with over a year under their belt to avoid giving them a raise in pay.

This was not however a threat she herself really needed to worry about, as her pay scale was slightly different than her coworkers. It came with having her own 'priority grade'. While other delivery services had normal, express, and rush, she was proud that her boss had actually taken to advertise what she had jokingly referred to as their limited 'Got to Go Express' service. Especially since she made double on those deliveries. Still, she just wished it hadn't been advertised as 'Anywhere in San Fransokyo in seven minutes or less'.

For one thing their distribution center wasn't exactly in the center of San Fransokyo, which made any delivery she had on the northern side (like this one) that much more difficult, double so during peak traffic time. Normally she would use her motorcycle, but during rush hour she had to go it the old fashion way. Plus, with all the extra overtime she had been pulling the last few days, the only danger she had to worry about was her supervisor offering her a full time job.

_'Coward'_

Elevator doors opening, she made her way out of the complex and began the walk back to her bike. A long walk, and for more reasons than one.

With the rush now behind her and things calming down, she was able to think again, which was exactly the thing she was trying to avoid. Thinking lead to other..._things_. It had been three days since she visited the Lucky Cat Café, three of the longest days of her life.

After what seemed to be an hour of just trying to comfort Hiro, GoGo took her leave of the boy and his home. She felt, in a word, raw. Old wounds long since healed were itching, and for the third time in her life she felt completely lost and useless. She wasn't a psychology major, she didn't have any siblings, and if she were being perfectly honest, this was one of the few areas she was as unfamiliar as she was uncomfortable with.

That was part of the reason why after returning to SFIT she had been lost in a daze for the rest of the day. She sat through her professors lectures but didn't hear a thing, didn't take a single note, or remember any of her assignments for the weekend. That night had likewise proven to be one of the worst she could remember in years. Not since the time with the others two weeks prior had she gone an entire night without a single hour of sleep. It wasn't even until two in the morning that she realized she was still wearing the same clothes she had all day, not even bothering to shower or change before turning in for the night.

In the back of her mind, she could still feel the dampness on what had until then been her favorite shirt. Just touching it made the flood of memories from hours earlier come rushing back to her, the vivid sensation of holding a person so close to her as they were falling to pieces, physically, mentally and emotionally, it left a mark on her.

She had never been one to believe in old tales before that night, but now she was willing to give a little more credence to her grandmother. Brushing her hand over her chest, she could _still_ feel it, the same spot that had been tear soaked when she left him, promising she'd come back to visit him when she could.

The following day she had tried sleeping in, something she rarely did, but like that night it proved to be fruitless. All she could think about was Hiro, and how he locked himself back in the room he shared with his brother for so long. When she got the call that there was an open shift that needed to be filled she was there before her supervisor hung up, eager for something, anything that could take her mind off of the horrible coldness she felt thinking back to Hiro.

It had done wonders for her to put lightly. The open air, the sun, the wind, all of it covered the void, same as always. The problems started that night, when exhausted in every sense of the word sleep proved to be elusive for a second night in a row. The silence of her room preyed upon her, soft cries and a familiar whimper played over and over in the back of her mind, memories she had come to terms with and buried _years_ ago trying to claw their way to the surface.

So, the next day she had volunteered to cover two shifts that had called in sick.

God bless flu season had been her motto that day.

Again she ran herself into the ground, pushed herself almost to her limit, reveled in the ache and burn of her muscles and joints from an entire day of nonstop workout and action. And again she was rewarded with a night devoid of sleep. She knew if she couldn't find any rest tonight she'd probably be hitting the SlyQuill to knock her out and get some sleep.

During the day it was so easy. She just had to keep herself occupied, and as long as she did she could conveniently ignore what had happened, pretend it wasn't there, didn't exist. But at night, she was alone with just her thoughts, and no matter how much pain her body was in, her brain was able to ignore it in favor of _those_ memories.

"Oh that's just freaking great," she muttered upon reaching where her bike had been parked. _Had_ being the operative word. The chain was still there, but someone had cut it, most likely with a pair of bolt cutters.

"Seriously, who walks around the city in the middle of the day with a pair of freaking bolt cutters?"

Pinching the bridge of her nose she groaned.

Checking her bag, she still had four more deliveries to make, none of them were too far, but she didn't want to walk the entire way either.

_'Wouldn't be a problem if you were in the suit.'_

THAT thought made her snort, almost enough to make her start laughing. She could just imagine the field day her supervisor would have if she did, her pupils would probably turn into dollar signs.

Getting her baring's, she spied a garbage truck heading her way. Out this late into the afternoon could only mean it was heading to the landfill, which was on the eastern limit of San Fransokyo. One of her deliveries was out that way, and she knew there was a metro line not far from that particular drop off...

Stepping near the curve but not enough that anyone would think she was trying to cross the street, she waited until just as the garbage truck passed by to grab onto the back handle and pulled herself up to the platform. It wasn't pretty, but it was free, and it beat walking.

* * *

><p>Two hours later she was finished, the last delivery had been made and she called in to clock out, explaining that her bike had been stolen and that she would bring the yellow slips in tomorrow. She was now in what had to be the last place on earth she'd ever want to be. A place filled with the worst sorts of people the city had to offer, grime and filth as far as the eye could see, and noise beyond what even she considered to be tolerable.<p>

The subway

Riding the screeching and screaming (begging to be put down in her mind) rail line she swore that if she ever found out who had taken her bike they would suffer for this indignity. The smell, the sound, the sight, every single thing about the subway (and public transportation in general) she found to be offensive to her existence. It was half the reason for her project, so that no one would have to suffer such torture again.

_'At least it's not the bus,'_ she thought with a shudder.

From the station it was only a short walk back to the campus, and from there to her dorm.

Locking the door, deadbolt, and chain, she hung her jacket and checked to make sure there was actually something left to eat before completely turning in for the night.

"Well well well, looks like tonight it's ramen or," pushing the stack noodles aside, she sighed. "ramen. Which means tomorrow I'll be hitting the gym," she muttered. There were many things that she and Wasabi disagreed on, well, it would be more accurate to say there were very few things they agreed on, but there was _one_ thing they had in common. Both treated their bodies like temples, and nobody ever worshiped a run down shack.

Tossing her keys into the small bowl on her counter top along with her wallet she dropped her bag onto the floor before noticing something else.

"Ugh, disgusting."

Scowling she hobbled over to her sink and pulled out some paper towels.

"This, is why, I hate public transportation," she growled as she pulled off the offending object that had been stuck to the bottom of her boot.

It was a pamphlet of some sort, she'd seen plenty of them over the years scattered across the city. She didn't even want to *think* about just _how_ it was sticking to the bottom of her boot. Nose scrunched and a shudder passing through her, she hopped over to the trash can, not wanting the 'defiled' boot to touch her floor until after cleaning it _*thoroughly*_. Before dropping it into the trash she paused when she noticed something unusual, or rather something familiar.

"Is that..." looking closer, she blinked, then blinked again.

"Fred?"

Carefully setting the pamphlet down, she went back to the sink and put on her dish washing gloves, then picked the small folded paper up to give it a closer look. Sure enough, filling the entire bottom half of the cover was Fred, giving a huge smile to the camera. Perched on his shoulders and giving an equally large smile was a young boy missing a tooth.

Shaking her head softly GoGo felt herself smiling at the image as she read the tagline along the bottom.

"Be a mentor. Be a big." Pursing her lips GoGo found herself chuckling. Sure, Fred was a great guy, friendly and kind to anyone and everyone. He'd give you the shirt off his back if you asked him for it. But the idea of him as a _mentor_, that was stretching things.

Dropping the pamphlet into the trash, she carefully pulled off her gloves before dropping them in as well. She'd pick up some replacements tomorrow with her groceries.

Pausing mid step she blinked.

There it was. The answer.

Face palming she took one step before stopping and remembering to take off her boots, and setting them aside she went back over to her jacket. It only took her a second to find her phone, always keeping it in the same pocket for a reason, she fished it out and scrolled through her contacts before finding the name she wanted.

_Fred Lee_

* * *

><p>Stan's Soap Box<p>

Face Front, True Believers! Time for some more questions from our readers! Before we get to those however I wish to make clear that there *is* a reason for GoGo's suddenly withdrawing from Hiro instead of charging head long into what's going on and helping him. There were a few hints given, but the full reveal will be given next chapter.

**Naflah chapter 2 . Jan 22: **Yay! Hirogo! I love u soooo much! Plz continue thiss! :3

Well, thanks for your support Naflah, and we'll do our best to continue this story for as long as we can.

**Urazz chapter 2 . Jan 22:** Glad you updated! I feel bad for Hiro being watched like a hawk by the cops. It's pretty much ruining his life. Hopefully, Gogo helps him out of that.

I do agree though that some of the characters are probably older. I figured Gogo is probably the youngest of group asides from Hiro for much of the same reason. The youngest in the cast aren't really doing anything necessarily new but are just refining and improving upon existing ideas. For example, Hiro's micro-bots are based on Callaghan's robot design but is just tweaked into a new revolutionary idea. Even if we don't think about that, Wasabi and Fred definitely look the oldest.

I'm thinking Wasabi is probably in his early twenties, Fred is in his early to mid twenties, Honey Lemon is probably around 18 to 20, and Gogo is probably around 16 to 18 depending on if she graduated early (she could've easily gotten in trouble with the law because of boredom and wanting to seek thrills much like Hiro). Tadashi looks like he is probably around 19 to his early twenties I think as the pictures of him as a kid with Hiro made him look like he was around 12 to 14 at the time I think while Hiro looked like he was arounf 6 to 8.

I can also see Callaghan also doing some big things in magnetics and electro-magnetics as his robot designs does make use of that heavily (Hiro's robot for bot fights uses Callaghan's technology).

Anyways, keep up the good work and I hope you update soon.

Glad you enjoyed the chapter! As for Hiro's current situation, while its true he is being watched like a hawk, it goes much deeper than you think. I wish I could say more about what lies ins tore fort he future, but then you wouldn't have as much a reason to read future chapters would you?

GoGo is in fact the youngest of the group, outside of Hiro at least. The characters ages will be revealed in future chapters, but just as a quick tip for you, their current ages are as follows, from youngest to oldest, Hiro is 15 (cookie to whoever figures this one out lol) GoGo is 19, Tadashi was 22, Honey lemon is 23, Fred is 25 and Wasabi is 26. Remember people, collage isn't a four year course, it all depends on what kind of degree you are after.

Oh you have no idea what I have in store for Callaghan when it comes to his accomplishments when it comes to science. Think for a second and remember where he was in the old video they found in the bunker ;) no more hints!

We'll try to keep the good work coming, updated frequently!

That's all for now, but be sure to grab the next issue when it hits stands! Until next time, Excelsior!


	4. 4

AN: While the previous chapters all had humorous little bits for their opening, this one will be different. The chronicles of Stan and Fred will continue in issue #5.

Earlier today, a young man by the name of Monty Oum passed away. I'm not sure how many, if anyone who reads this recognizes or knows that name, but I wanted to dedicate this chapter to him. By strange coincidence, this chapter does deal with something directly connected to him, not his work, but him as a person. So this week's chapter is being released today instead of Thursday as the previous have been. Chapter five will be released on time next Thursday at minimum, though I might update sooner. Some details will be in the closing AN.

This chapter is being released early in support of the wishes and requests of his friends, family and crew after his passing: As for honoring Monty, we will do that in our own way. In lieu of flowers or gifts, we ask that you simply do something creative. Use your imagination to make the world a better place in any way that you can. If you know Monty like we do, then you know he would certainly be doing that if he were able to.

"Keep moving forward." -Monty Oum, 1981-2015

* * *

><p>"You want me to what?"<p>

"Just, you know, stop by to see him, check in on him. Is that really a big deal?" GoGo asked as she stirred her (now cold) ramen noodles.

"Normally, no, but this? Uhhh, yes..."

"This? What ish his suppose to mean?" Phone in one hand and chopsticks in the other she frowned.

"We haven't seen each other or even like, talked in weeks, then out of nowhere you call me asking if I'd hang out with Hiro? Yeah, I'd call that strange, well, maybe weird...or at least suspicious."

"What's suspicious about it? I'm just a little worried about him, everything going on and all that. He still hasn't enrolled and we haven't heard from him since Callaghan was taken in. I just mought met, you bow? You mew got along great, goth comic nerds you know?" Setting down her chopsticks she grabbed her (unfortunately now warm) soda.

"Well first of all you're eating, and I happen *know* how much you hate people talking to you or talking to other people when eating cause it makes you nauseous. It's why you made me eat my sneakers last year," Fred fired back with a deadpan voice before continuing "second is this whole thingy...thing itself. I've know you for over a year, and I've never seen you or heard of you asking someone to do anything like that."

"Are you implying that I only care about myself?"

Fred could literally _feel_ her glare across the line.

"N-no, no, nothing like that, in fact I know you care about people. We were all there when you clotheslined that purse snatcher."

"Then _what_ exactly are you trying to imply?" she hissed.

"I'm implying that you're acting an awful lot like you're afraid of something, and like you are hiding something...and I think...no, I know you're lying about something."

"..."

"I'm coming over, we'll talk when I get there."

"What?! No, Fred, don't you dare-"

_*Knock knock knock*_

Her jaw hit the ground almost as fast as her phone did.

Quickly moving to her door, she checked the peephole to see a grinning Fred waving.

_"Okay, that is officially creepy."_

Unlocking her door, all but the chain she opened it part way.

"Fred, what on earth are you doing here this late?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Not that Fred could see it as it wasn't the exposed eye.

"I was giving Wasabi a hand when you called...uh...oh uh."

* * *

><p>"Fred I need some more light down here. You there man? Fred! FRED!"<p>

* * *

><p>"But I'm sure he's okay. You going to let me in or not?" Several moments of silence passed, but neither moved. GoGo was sure that if she waited long enough he would just leave, but as moments turned into minutes, she sighed and closed the door, removed the chain then opened it.<p>

Fred of course was smiling all the same.

"Ohh! Fish and," _*sniff* *sniff*_ "beef? No wait, fish and pork! Man I'm starving you got any more?"

Before GoGo could close the door, let alone answer him he was already going through her cupboards.

"Alllll right! Chicken and dumplings, score! Where did you find this stuff by the way? They haven't made it since forever!"

Mentally, GoGo wondered if she should warn him that the stockpile of instant noodles had been there when she moved in a year and a half ago, but that train of thought was knocked aside by another more pressing one.

"Wh-"

"Now, you've got two minutes to tell me what's really going on here with Hiro."

The typically warm and almost goofy smile was still present, but somehow...different. Something about Fred's eyes had changed. Added to that he wasn't leaning back, slouching or using her table as an ottoman. Under different circumstances she would have been impressed; she didn't even think Fred _could _behave like this.

_"Okay, this I did not expect."_

"Look, something's going on, I might not be the most serious guy around, but I'm not a complete idiot. What's got you so worked up that you called me out of the blue?"

Peeling her gum from the table she popped it back into her mouth and started chewing.

_*Pop*_

"Nothing is up Fred, I just thought he could use a friend. Someone to hang out with. You remember how his face lit up when he saw your room, like a kid in a candy store."

Fred's only response was a raised eyebrow of his own.

"Actually, I didn't know, I was still kinda feeling the rush from that awesome chase and splashdown. Sweet moves by the way, forgot to give you props for saving our butts."

_*Pop*_

Shrugging her shoulders GoGo was nonplussed.

"That aside, now I'm really curious to find out why you're trying to drop him off on me like this."

Gaping, GoGo froze.

"I'm not trying to drop him off-"

"How is he by the way?"

"Ugh, he's fine, a little down but-"

Fred's grin was met with a familiar _*pop*_

"Got you lying GoGo," Fred chimed with a knowing grin.

"I can still make you eat your shoes nerd," she threatened, trying to cover her annoyance at getting caught in her lie.

"Come onnnnn GoGo, we're friends, you don't need to try and pull some kind of shell game on me, you know that. I love kids, and I love helping them. So what's up?"

Sighing, GoGo slumped into the seat across from him.

"I...ugh, I hate you, you know that?"

Waving off her scowl, Fred rolled his fingers, telling her to get on with it and stop stalling.

"Friday I stopped by the Lucky Cat to, get something to eat. Purely by coincidence," she defended.

"Oh of course," Fred replied, she could tell he knew she was lying.

"And...when I got there Cass was...off, and asked me to try and talk to him."

Brows furrowed, Fred leaned forward with a slightly worried look. "She asked you to _try_ and talk to him? Not _to_ talk to him?"

_*Pop*_

"She said...ugh, Fred, look, he's not well. He needs a friend, badly, between his brother and their room and the cops; he's...he's alone okay?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold up, roll back, start from the start. You said he needs a friend? Why do you think he needs _a _friend, specifically?"

"Didn't you hear what I said? He's _alone_, I mean it, seriously, he's locked himself up in his and his brothers room again because of the police treating him like he's some kind of threat to the city."

"Locked himself up in his and his brother's room _again_?"

"YES! AGAIN FRED! Like he did last time, when Tadashi died."

"Calm down GoGo, I'm just trying to figure out what's going on here. You said he's locked himself in his and his brother's room, again. What room? Do you mean the garage, or they have some kind of hobby room up in the attic?"

Sighing once again, GoGo took a deep breath.

"No, I mean their _room_, as in _bedroom_. Hiro and Tadashi shared a room since Cass took them in."

"Really? Wow...that must...man, not much room," Fred thought out loud.

"It's...not that bad actually. The room itself I mean, it was plenty big for two people. The entire third floor is just one room, with a bathroom."

"Not that bad? You mean you saw it? Or Hiro told you about it?"

"I saw it for myself, he was holed up in there and, well I didn't _know_ he was in there, not exactly. Cass just asked me to talk to him but didn't tell me where he was, so I went up the stairs and found him in there. I woke him up and it took awhile just to get him to talk to me, but...Fred? The police know about us...him, they know Hiro was there when we took down Callaghan, they've interrogated him and they've practically taken everything from the room, except the wires they left there."

"Wait, what? Hiro's only a kid, he's fourteen, how could they interrogate a minor?"

"...well, I...don't know, to be honest. I mean I was interrogated when I was sixteen...but they did pull me out of the car I stole at the time, maybe probable cause or something like that?"

Fred shook his head.

"Naw, it doesn't work like that. They can't question a minor unless they are arrested at the scene of a crime...and why would they bug his room?"

GoGo just gave him a deadpan look.

"Right, sorry, you're talking, my bad. Back to Hiro, him and Tadashi shared a room? For all that time?"

"From what I can tell, their place isn't big, but it's not exactly tiny either. I guess it worked for them...but..."

"Now that Tadashi is gone, Hiro's alone and stuck in that room."

GoGo nodded.

"Man, that sucks...poor kid..."

"After the police took everything, it's just...empty now. They left his clothes, and a clock, but that's pretty much it. Him and Cass," "Cass and he," Fred interrupted, but she ignored him, "both told me that cops follow them everywhere they go, and there's at least one sitting in the cafe all day from opening to closing."

Leaning her head down to try and get a better look at her friend, GoGo frowned.

"Something wrong Fred?"

"Yeah...a lot of things actually...this whole thing stinks of a setup."

"Setup?"

"You said they know Hiro was there when we took down Callaghan right?"

"Yeah, because Callaghan told them he took Hiro's microbots. Why?"

"...GoGo, if they know Hiro was there, shouldn't they know the rest of us were there too? Callaghan saw all of us, he knew who we were."

"No, no no no, not like that. Callaghan told them he stole Hiro's microbots, he didn't tell them Hiro was there, or any of us."

"Exactly my point. How did they find out Hiro was there? The only way I could see would be if they searched his room and found something there."

"You mean like his armor?"

"Couldn't have, it's still locked up in my place. It just doesn't make any sense...if Callaghan told them it was us, then we'd all have the cops up our asses, not just Hiro..."

The two were silent for a moment before both looked up.

"Baymax!"

"His gauntlet, Hiro took it with him, they must have found it while searching his room," GoGo started.

"And when they asked him about it he told them what happened," Fred finished.

"But...why are they watching just him like a hawk and not all of us? You know Wasabi would know if anyone bugged his lab station, or was following him."

Once again the room fell silent, until an ear to ear grin split on Fred's face.

"Hiro didn't tell them about us."

"What?"

"Hiro, he told them _he_ was there, what _he_ did, but he _didn't_ tell them squat about _us_. The kid's got some serious spine if he didn't spill about the rest of us. It would also explain why they're watching him and Cass the way they are." Seeing GoGo's confused face he snickered.

"Really? You don't get it?"

"Get what?"

"GoGo, it's a stake out, they're using Hiro as bait to try and get the rest of us. I wouldn't be surprised if you got a tail now following you wherever you go," Fred pointed out.

In the back of her mind GoGo felt a great deal of pity for whoever had been following her the last few days, if indeed they had been.

"Not like it would be that hard to figure out who we are. All of our projects are open sourced, and plenty of people have seen our demonstrations," GoGo countered.

"Ah! But have you seen any pictures or videos of us at Krei? I seem to recall the reporter saying something about us vanishing without a trace, or something like that. If I was going to bet money on this, I'd say it's the military or the government that's doing this, not the cops. There aren't that many people out there who can get a wire put in someone's house like that, even fewer who can interrogate a minor without parental consent. Nobody saw us out there but us and Callaghan, and I don't see him talking much."

"Might give him a better deal if he did," GoGo muttered.

"Oh yeah, a choice between a cell with a view outside and a cell with a view of a brick wall maybe. Callaghan screwed up, bad, but I don't think he is completely-" Fred stopped cold at the look GoGo was now giving him.

"What I mean is, none of us have had any trouble, so I don't think Hiro or Callaghan have told them anything, and you _know_ the news crews would be having a field day with any footage or pictures of us out there fighting. They're probably waiting for his team to come check on him."

"And I visited him...in broad daylight...crap," GoGo managed before slamming her head onto the table.

"Hey, it's not that bad, they haven't gotten anything on you unless you slipped on that suit of yours since you checked in on him...you...uh, haven't have you?"

"Mo," GoGo muttered, face still plastered against the table. Raising her head she shook it once. "I haven't put that thing on since, well, then."

"Good, that means you can help Hiro."

"Yeah? Wait-what?!"

"GoGo, you've already been tagged, if they've got him under watch like you said; now it's going to look suspicious if you _don't_ hang around him, they'll think he warned you or something and now you're staying away."

"W-well what about you!? If they're following me then they know I called you, talked to you, they know you know they know about this...right?" Pausing, GoGo cringed at what she just said. "Oh god, now you've got me believing your conspiracy theories." Moaning she started massaging her temples.

"Not really. SFIT is privately owned and funded remember? It would be a colossal legal nightmare for them to get any surveillance equipment in here, at least compared to someone's house. And even if they did, I doubt it would last long."

Giving Fred a questioning look, he just started laughing. "Seriously, if someone tried planting a bug or a camera, it wouldn't last an hour. As paranoid as half the nerds here are about their projects, especially after what happened with ESU a few years back, un uh, not happening. Just be careful what you do or say outside...or near any windows..." Fred glanced over her shoulder to see that yes, the windows did indeed have their blinds drawn.

Seeing her pensive look, Fred frowned. "They'll leave you alone after awhile, just do what you normally do, well, and hang out around Hiro a few times a week or so."

"I...don't know about that..." looking down for a moment before turning her attention to Fred, she continued."He's not exactly...Fred, I asked you to hang out with him for a reason. After Tadashi died, he sat in that room for _three_ _months_, _three months_ Fred."

Crossing his arms, Fred nodded. "Yeah, it took a bad situation and made it worse. Honestly I wish I had known about that at the funeral, I would have gone up there if I did. It's just a constant reminder that he lost his brother. You'd think Cass would have moved him into another room by now."

"I wish it was that simple."

"Hm?"

Sagging, GoGo took another deep breath. "Hiro...isn't just reminded about Tadashi's death being in that room Fred. He...he blames himself for it...and for Callaghan."

"What? Why? That doesn't even make sense...why would he blame himself?"

"Fred, do you know why Hiro applied to come here?"

"Yeah, Tadashi brought him...oh, oh man; you mean he's blaming himself for that? That tanks...but it's not true...well, it is, but...not like that. There was no way he could have known Callaghan was carrying that kind of baggage."

"It's not that, not exactly. He applied because of _Callaghan_, not Tadashi. Hiro...he looked up to him, idolized him. He thinks that if he never applied, Tadashi and Baymax would still be here, and Callaghan would...well, still be Professor Callaghan." As she explained this she could see Fred's expression shift from curiosity to surprise, then to something else.

Breathing heavily, Fred swept one hand through his hair before giving a heavy exhale.

Several long moments passed before he shook his head.

"Fred, there was no way any of us could have known he was dealing with that," she offered.

"Yeah, there is. If we'd tried talking to him, just stopped by to see him...you know, be an actual friend to him..."

"Except he wasn't our friend then, he was Tadashi's little brother."

The mild glare Fred gave her was short lasting, but she did see it.

"So if you knew about this, why did you ask me to hang out with him? You were there already," he pointed out, giving her a curious look.

"I'm not exactly the comforting type Fred, that's more of Honey Lemon's thing," pausing as his 'look' remained fixed, she buckled. "And I saw you on one of those Big Brother Big Sister fliers...I thought, you know, you would be better with that sort of thing."

While the glare was gone, a rather powerful frown of disappointment was present.

"That's what everyone says GoGo, and it's half the problem."

"Hm?"

"Find someone else to help them, to deal with it, someone who knows what they're doing. That's just an excuse."

"I-that's not true Fred. I just...I don't know what to do with this kind of...that okay? This isn't like helping someone up that scraped their knee, or driving someone that broke a bone to the hospital. Hiro's messed up, seriously, and majorly messed up, and he's been bottled up in that room for three months like a pressure cooker."

"He's a kid GoGo, not a time bomb."

"Really? Could have fooled me after what he did at the bunker," she fired back.

Narrowing his eyes, but frown still in place, Fred shook his head in disbelief. "Are you actually...afraid of Hiro?"

The image of Baymax looming over her, fist raised and red eyes blazing flashed across her memory.

"Not...exactly...of him, just what he might do."

"That's the same thing; you can't just start thinking like that. He's one of the good guys remember? He proved that, he's still proving it _now_. He's sitting by himself, in that room, blaming himself for his brother's death and what Callaghan did, all for us. I don't know if I could do that if I was in his shoes."

When he saw that his point had completely missed the mark he knew he'd have to explain it to her.

"After what happened at the exhibition hall, what did we do for him? We sent him an E-card GoGo, **one** E-card, that's it, until Baymax called us and asked us to help him at the docks. And since then, we haven't exactly given him any reasons to protect us."

"Can't you just...Big Brother him?"

Another disappointed sigh, another head shake. "Un-believable, you're really that afraid of him?"

"I'm NOT afraid of him Fred, I just...look, we know that Hiro, _is_ capable of things that are _dangerous_. It takes certain triggers, but it can happen. Do you really think it's a good idea for anyone that doesn't know what they are doing to try and help him? _Me_ of all people especially? I'm not supportive, and I'm certainly not maternal, period. Hiro needs help, from someone that _can_ help him."

"What he needs, is someone to care, and to try. Even if you mess up, just being there is the first step to helping, and believe me, it will go a long way. That's the first thing they teach us when we sign up to be Bigs."

"Bigs?"

"Yeah, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, we're called Big's, and the kids, well, they're Little's. We're given training, its months before we're made active, and we have to take quite a few tests. But believe me, just being there, just having someone that cares goes a long way. It's not what you do or what you say as much as its being there to do it or being there to say it. A lot of times they'll tell you what they really need, you just have to be patient and listen to them." When his friend still wouldn't look him in the eye, Fred shook his head.

"GoGo, you owe him, big time. Is it really that big of a deal for you to try and be there to help him out? Just a little bit?"

"Didn't you say all of us owe him?" she countered.

"Yeah, I did, and as far as I'm concerned this entire city should line up to kiss his ass and be thankful to walk the same ground he does. For now we have to be careful, but at the same time we need to do what we can. You have two classes a day and work part time."

"You're unemployed and _loaded_."

"Uh, yeah, 'unemployed', I'm the mascot for two college football teams, audit SFIT's finances and exams, head up the local 'Take Back Our Block', chapter leader for San Fransokyo's 'Make Our City Green', and have _three_ Little's to mentor."

"Three? What's normal?" GoGo asked, still trying to use that same angle to help needle her friend.

"One," he replied flatly.

"Oh..."

"Yeah, 'oh', look I don't know what you're problem is or why you are so desperate to _not_ help Hiro, but I hope you won't do what most of these kids parents do and just sit on your thumbs and let someone else take care of them. I'm going to do what I can and try to find out what's going on, whose watching Hiro and why. It might just be they want to know who we are, but there might be more to it."

Reaching across the table and surprising GoGo by taking her hand in his, he continued.

"It's easy, I know, to just ignore someone when they need help. It's easy to excuse yourself and say that you don't have the time, you don't know what to do, or just flat out not care. But I really don't think that's the kind of person you are. You're the anti-heroine, cold, standoffish, and harsh on the outside, but brave, loyal, and caring on the inside."

Pulling her hand from his, GoGo groaned.

"Can't you just take care of this, please?"

Flashing a now full blown goofy grin, Fred shook his head.

"Nope, you're the one that went to see him, you're the one that's already got an in with him, and you're the best one out of us to help him."

Looking up with a confused but wiry glare, GoGo knew she was going to regret this, but she had to know.

"Already has an in with him? The best of us to help him? Mind explaining that a bit better?"

"Well, between the four of us, Wasabi would be...yeah, do we really need to explain why he would be a bad idea? Honey Lemon, honestly I'm worried about, something is wrong but she isn't talking. I've already got my work cut out for me and if it _*is*_ the military or government then I need to be really carefully because of my family."

"And me?"

"You have the most free time, you're the most mentally and emotionally stable, and most importantly, you gave the kid his first girl hug. That kind of thing sticks with guys."

Scoffing, GoGo was an inch away from slapping him.

"Fred! I'm serious, he needs-"

"And I'm serious too. It doesn't seem like a big deal to you, but to him? You were there for him back at the garage, and you were the one who visited him. Those two small acts give you a foothold that none of us have. The girl hug thing, also, true fact, no guy ever forgets their first _anything_ with a girl."

"Oh yeah? Who was your first 'girl hug'?" GoGo asked, mostly mocking but somewhat curious.

"First girl hug? Sandy Miller, sixth grade, I gave her a pink rose for Valentine's Day because I thought she was cute."

Now dumbfounded, she was unprepared for Fred's continued assault.

"Which actually gives you another bonus..." Holding up his hands to form a frame around her in his view, Fred smirked. "A little time with a hot girl brightens up any guy's day; you're a solid eight so-**guewf!**" Pulling back his foot Fred hissed. "Okay, nine, solid nine, definitely."

"He's a **_kid_** Fred."

"He's a _teenager_ GoGo. His head is a mess, but at least if he's focused on and thinking about you, he isn't focused on or thinking about anything bad...well, bad maybe but not negative. I'm not saying you should flirt with him or hit on him, just spend a little time with him. Trust me, when you're alone, just having someone that _wants_ to spend time with you is a huge thing. When it's a pretty girl? It adds a little extra to it, makes you feel better about yourself."

"So...I just what? Sit there and talk to him?"

"Sure, it would be a lot better if you sat there and listened to him though, get him to start talking, open him up a little, and then just let him do the rest." Seeing that she still didn't look convinced, Fred flashed his usual warm and friendly smile. "I get that you're worried, you think you'll screw up and just make things worse for him. But you have to trust me here, just try, you'll be fine. You don't need to be a grief counselor or some kind of shrink to help him, just be his friend."

The deep and heartfelt conversation was interrupted by an alarm buzzing. Fred frowned and checked his phone.

"Whoa! Man I am LATE! I've got to get home and changed for tonight's patrol," bolting up he nearly knocked over GoGo's table in his rush.

"Wait, patrol? What are you talking about?"

"I told you already, Take Back Our Block, it's a neighborhood watch group, and I'm supposed to meet up with the local Guardian Angel's chapter tonight for some talks."

Already at the door, Fred stopped and turn on his heel, grabbed the (now cold) box of ramen from her counter before charging back out the door, chugging said box of noodles like an energy drink he was gone.

Now very much alone with her thoughts, she was no closer to an answer than she had been earlier.

* * *

><p>It might seem strange for me to dedicate and honor the memory of someone who not many of you know. But I wish to take a moment to explain why I chose to do so. You see, five years ago I was robbed. Someone broke into my home and stole my laptop, my backup hard drives, and a number of other things. That laptop and those drives contained all of my works, all of my notes, and my archives. Nearly ten gigs of word documents, stories, poems, and art either done by myself or by friends, family or just authors and artist I was a fan of. Many of those people are no longer here today, having died over the course of years, quite a few didn't have internet. This means that quite a few of the works I had on that laptop and those drives were the only copies that existed, they can never be recovered.<p>

So, between loosing over a decade of my own work and my archives, I lost any and all desire to continue working on my stories. That's why you see a rather large gap in my fics, from 2010 to recent months. My character notes, outlines, brainstorming, everything was gone.

Then a little over a year ago, my editor, Kenju, happened to introduce me to Monty Oum's work, to be more specific, RWBY. To anyone who hasn't seen it, the only way I could describe it would be to say, imagine a world that combines the original Brother's Grim fairytales with The Matrix, Bleach, Yugioh and a little bit of Naruto (before it sucked). That's a thumbnail and a gross oversimplification of the series. I strongly recommend anyone who hasn't seen it to check it out and to give it a try.

Monty's love and his passion not only for his work but his fans and fandom was able to stoke the all but dead embers of creativity I had and nurse them back to health over the course of the last year as I came to enjoy the world he created and gave to his fans to play with. He listened to his fans, talked to them, made changes when they voiced their concerns, and even reached out to help a few when he could. That's why after leaving a little run down movie theater two months ago, I decided to once again take up the pen and try my hand at giving the world something to enjoy, even if it's just a small corner that few would ever know.

So, thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope that those of you who have come to enjoy my work will continue to do so. I'm still...shaky and haven't quite found my writing legs yet. Even when I was at my peak I was never the most confident of writers, so if I make mistakes please let me know so that I might improve, so that in turn I can give my readers and even better story to enjoy. I also ask that if you have the time, please, take just a moment to write a review, not just here, but to any story you read. Artist can only improve if we know where we need improvement, and just as Monty was fond of commenting, we artist thrive on our fans and their feedback, their praise, or just their thoughts and opinions. There is no greater joy for an artist, be they a painter or a writer, than knowing their fans enjoy and appreciate their work.


	5. 5

"Greetings true believers and welcome to the exciting world of the Big Hero 6! Last time we learned that the fearless GoGo Tomago isn't quite as fearless as she would like the world to believe. Wanting to help her team's leader, but unsure of what action to take, she sought assistance from the mysterious yet insightful Fred Lee, a mystical sage whose knowledge and experience are matched only by his dashing good looks and awesome sign spinning prowess."

"Fred! Are you still in there? Sweetie, are you okay? You've been in the bathroom for over an hour!"

"Mom! I'm fine!"

"Are you sure? If you're having problems, Heathcliff can bring you a glass of prune juice! It always helps your father when he has trouble going!"

"I said I'm fine mom!"

_*Cough*_ "Now forced to choose between remaining in the shadows of cowardice, or pursuing the awesome light of justice and right, will she be willing to chose the…uh, right choice, or will the young heroic leader Hiro forever remain in the darkness?"

Grinning like an idiot Fred gave two thumbs up to the bathroom mirror. "Man, dad's right, that is totally awesome!"

"Fredy, honey, Heathcliff is bringing you some stool softener; it should help you with your problem!"

"Mom!"

"Not bad Fred, you are learning! I'm so proud of you!"

"Dad?!"

"But you forgot the most important part, Excelsior!"

Fred watched as his father flew away yet again, his three engine jetpack leaving a stream of red, white and blue smoke across the sky.

Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6, not even the DVD (yet). Any similarities between this story and works by another author is purely coincidental and not a conspired attempt at influencing the fan base in any way ;)

With that out of the way, here it is, hot off the presses! Heroes Rising: Issue #5!

* * *

><p>Another sleepless night followed by another long and grueling morning of lectures, capped off with a fruitless waste of hours in the lab had GoGo ready to pull her hair out.<p>

On the one hand, she felt bad for Hiro, obviously who wouldn't? He lost his brother, his best friend and his idol, all wrapped up with a big bow of 'screw you' from the city he nearly died protecting. The very same city that now saw him as some sort of threat. As much as she hated to admit it the more she thought about it the more she could see that Fred was _right_. That alone she knew was a bad sign.

She (like everyone else in San Fransokyo) owed him her life. The Nerd Lab group owed him a second debt however thanks to the 'upgrades' he had given them. No they hadn't gone running around fighting crime or selling their gear to the military, but the suits Hiro made for them _were_ based on their projects, scaled down or applied in a different way all together.

When designing her maglev blade suit she had voiced concerns over the aerodynamics and weight issues the battery for the electromagnetic system would cause. Sure it wasn't huge, but a ten pound battery strapped to your back would wear you down over time, especially when rollerblading compared to bicycling.

She had been so focused on working out the polarity balancing system that she hadn't considered the battery issue until they were almost finished, but the kid had factored in and planned around the additional weight since they _started_. Not only was it simple, but it was safer, more efficient, and provided multiple redundant backups.

Rather than a single large battery, her suit used multiple smaller ones. The weight was more in the end, nearly twenty five pounds instead of twelve, but evenly distributed across her body instead of just her back. This way each disk had its own independent power source, two batteries in each gauntlet and two in each boot, the first being the primary power source while the second was a back up. Also while independent, they were all connected through the suits electromagnetic stabilizing system, which monitored and adjusted its electromagnetic field according to her body movements and actions.

This insured a thrown disk would only return to an open magnetic 'docking port' and not just randomly fly back at her. It also meant that if her suit was damaged, even so far as losing both primary and backup power to any one disc, it would simply be redistributed from the others to maintain her electromagnetic field as if nothing had happened.

But that hadn't been the end of it, no, not by a long shot.

Two additional batteries were also worked into the suits design, one on her back and another on her torso. She had pointed out that it would be more efficient to just have one large battery instead, that it would have far more capacity, but he counterpointed that the suit was intended for not only high _speed_ but also _combat_. That meant they had to take into account her getting hit or running into something eventually. A single large power source would only be a liability then, and the more backups she had the more it could handle.

As he explained this he also went into great detail about the batteries themselves and how the suit functioned. The boot discs, which required the most power, were actually run by the batteries in her gauntlets, which were larger than the batteries in her boots, while in turn the wrist discs were powered by the smaller batteries in her boots. This reduced the suits drag profile and aerodynamic resistance, which in turn reduced how much work she had to do to start moving and keep moving. The larger batteries contained within her gauntlets she was surprised to learn were not only due to the greater energy needed to power her 'rollerblades' but also doubled as weights, increasing the force of her punches and even worked with her natural body movements to assist with balance and propelling her. On top of that the entire battery system also served as a form of armor to help protect her.

During that brief time together in Fred's lab that night, she found herself more and more in awe of just how smart he really was. Not only did he understand how her invention worked, but had expanded on it in every way imaginable, all the while doing the same thing for the others, designing his own suit and Baymax's armor. From start to finish, concept to design to completion it had all been done in a single day.

_One **day**_. It had taken her a _year_ to come up with her maglev bike and get it to the point it was now. Wasabi had spent _three years_ developing his plasma containment generator. And Honey Lemon? Hiro microconverted a _hundred years_ of scientific discovery into a _purse _that could make everything from glue foam to a hydrogen bomb with a few keystrokes.

When that thought settled into her mind, she finally realized just _what_ Fred had meant after Hiro left them behind at the bunker. At the time she had only thought about Hiro's microbots, how much damage they could do combined with the fact he had created them. But Fred hadn't just mentioned the microbots in his warning; he mentioned their suits as well. Magnetic blades that could be launched and would return without effort. Plasma fields that could cut through anything. Boots that would allow a person to jump ten stores in a single leap combined with a lightweight flamethrower. A miniature chemistry set with infinite uses. A flight capable jetpack with rocket fists and a computer chip containing a complete encyclopedia on karate.

All this and he was just _fourteen_.

Eyes wide, she had stared at the ceiling well into the night, for the first time truly understanding just what a prodigy really was.

She wasn't dumb, obviously. In fact she was quite smart, she was proud of herself and her accomplishments. Of course she also acknowledged that there were in fact people out there smarter than her, she was reminded every time Honey Lemon opened her mouth and barfed up a mass of science that left her feeling like her first day in trig class all over again. But there was a difference between the two. Honey Lemon simply _knew_ more, like a computer with superior memory capacity. By that line of thinking however if Honey Lemon was a computer, Hiro was a sentient robot.

At worst, a Terminator.

She had shuddered as once again the image of Baymax's glowing red eyes flashed across her memory, now coupled by Fred's warning.

_'All he needs is a reason.'_

This of course brought the other hand into play. In the back of her mind she knew that on some level she was afraid of Hiro. It wasn't a sense of morbid dread, she didn't think he would just up and kill her or anyone for no reason. No, her fear came from what she knew him to be _capable_ of. On the surface Hiro was quiet, shy, unsure of himself and very awkward around others. But at his core was something else entirely. Determination, an iron will, and unstoppable resolve all powered by a heart burning with rage.

The others had chalked it up to what had happened, the truth of his brother's death coming to light combined with who was at fault. At the time she went along with the idea, it made perfect sense after all. Besides, while none of them would have gone as far as to try and kill their former professor, all four of them would have been more than happy to knock his lights out if given the chance. The more she thought about it now though, the more that theory bothered her.

Anger, yes. She could understand that easily enough. Who wouldn't have been angry in his place? But anger and rage were two different things, and what they had seen that night was unmistakably rage. Callaghan hadn't caused anything, he'd simply let something already there out of its cage.

In the end however guilt and paranoia won out over fear, leading her to where she was now. Once again standing in line at the Lucky Cat Café.

"Hello and welcome to-GoGo?"

Smiling weakly at Cass, she leaned foward with her arms out as though to hug her, returning the gesture from her previous visit. The older woman blinked, and then smiled, pulling her into an embrace. That tiny twinge of guilt tugging just slightly harder when she heard the woman sniffle as she pulled away. If she noticed GoGo was awkward or uncomfortable with the hug she ignored it in favor of the tiny bit of comfort the gesture gave her.

"How things holding up?"

Cass frowned for a moment, but then smiled. GoGo could tell it was plastered on and fake as a three dollar bill.

"Well, same as they were," Cass offered simply.

Nodding, GoGo motioned her head towards the stairs. It was small, but Cass picked it up all the same and GoGo was surprised to see the older woman now sporting a smaller but genuine smile.

"If you want to talk to Hiro you can," her eyes were all but pleading.

_*Pop*_

Smiling, GoGo nodded and made her way around to the stairs, closing the doorway behind her. She could literally _hear_ Cass's beaming smile behind her as she followed the now known path upstairs.

Sticking her head in the doorway, she wasn't the least bit surprised to see a nearly identical picture as last time. An empty room with the only signs of life being a motionless lump of covers and blankets on one of the beds. At one end she could see a bare foot sticking out and as she drew closer she could hear his light snores muffled by his pillow. Standing over him she shook her head.

_"If I had the cops watching my every move, following me everywhere I went, I'd be all over this city, probably the entire state."_ Eyes narrowing she almost scoffed. _"I get what he's doing, but really? This is just sad. He's giving them a free paycheck."_

Closing the remaining distance between them she grabbed hold of his self made cacoon and yanked it back, tossing it aside with a flourish. "Oyi! Wake up nerd!"

With the most shrill, girlish scream she had ever heard in her life, the teen launched from his bed and rolled to the other side for cover. It was a good solid minute before he peaked over the edge of the mattress up at her.

"GoGo?"

"Yep, now come on, get dressed; we're going for a ride."

Standing to his full (and unimpressive) height he answered intelligently, "Huh?"

"I said we're going for a ride. Get dressed. If you're not ready in two minutes I'm dragging you out as is," she warned.

Dressed only in his boxers, she frowned at what she saw.

"Christ kid, don't you ever eat?"

"Wha?" looking down and seeing that she was staring at his bare chest he gave a yip before covering himself with his arms.

"What are you doing here?!"

_*Pop*_

"I dropped by to see how you were doing. Now I'm dragging your skinny ass out to grab a bite to eat."

"Scrawny?"

"I can see your ribs, and...is that your spine?" she asked, leaning forward slightly and giving a serious look of concern. It was of course an act, just to get him riled up.

It worked.

"I, you can't just-"

"I can, I am, and I will. Hiro, you're so skinny and pale that you could pass for the ghost of Michel Jackson."

"If I set one foot-" he started in a whisper but she waved his concerns aside.

"Yeah yeah, police and government spooks are out to get you. I haven't seen anyone either time I dropped by," pausing when she saw he was going to cut her off, her glare was enough to say it all. _'Shut up and go with it.'_ "And if they _are_ stalking you, then why the hell are you just sitting cooped up in here all day? Nobody should get paid to sit all day and do nothing."

"GoGo..."

"Oh for," face palming she decided to try and use a touch of charm. "Hiro, you have a girl in your bedroom, offering to take you out to eat. Do I really need to spell it out for you?" Okay so not as much charm as it was ridicule, shaming and blackmailing his gender.

"L-like a date?" His face was now officially as red as a tomato.

"Sure, date, whatever, get dressed."

When he just stood there staring at her she felt an eyebrow twitch.

_*Pop*_ "NOW!"

With another yip he bolted, this time to his dresser, then to the bathroom at the other end of the room.

Chuckling and shaking her head, she knew she'd have to set him straight, but that could wait until after they were-

"Oh _crap_."

It was in mild panic that she patted down her jacket and only a mild sigh of relief when she found her wallet. _"Hmmm twenty bucks, not much, but should be enough...as long as I don't need any gas."_ Her thinking was cut short when Hiro emerged from the bathroom, trying and failing to get his shirt on (backwards, she noticed) as quickly as possible.

_"Either I scared the daylights out of him, or..."_

"Okay, okay, see? Ready!"

_*Pop*_

_"Yep, scared the daylights out of him,"_ she thought with a smirk.

* * *

><p>Heading down the stairs she could tell he was worried, but she waved it off, telling him he was just being paranoid.<p>

"GoGo? How is...Hiro?"

Standing in the middle of the stairwell was Cass, wearing an expression somewhere between dumbfounded and overjoyed.

"Hey, you don't mind if I take him out for a bit do you?"

"You, but, he, uh?"

Giving what she hoped was a comforting smirk she continued. "I'll have him back by his bed time, I promise," she teased.

"Hey!"

That's when she saw the tears starting to well up in the older woman's eyes and for the third time in as many days felt her heart twisting. When she found the time, she was going to have a word with the others about this. She pushed that thought to the back of her mind, right now there were more important things she needed to take care of. Like keeping Hiro from seeing his aunt's reaction to all this.

Thinking fast she put an arm around the back of Hiro's neck and pushed his head down, knowing that if he saw Cass crying he'd probably just go back upstairs and hole himself up again.

"See you when we get back," she chirped, but Cass stopped her before getting too far.

"Why," clearing her throat she started again "why don't you use the back entrance? Less traffic, you know?"

Reading between the lines GoGo got the message loud and clear. There _were_ cops downstairs, and more than likely Cass had been coming to warn her when she ran into the duo heading out.

Nodding in thanks, GoGo lead (read dragged) Hiro out the back entrance as Cass headed back into the cafe.

* * *

><p>"Woah."<p>

Arms crossed and smirk in place, GoGo watched as the young teen carefully walked up to her ride, almost like one would a skittish cat.

"This is yours?"

"What? You thought that soccer mom minivan was mine?"

"B-but, th-this is, it's a Kawasaki H2R Ninja! They only made these things for a year before they canceled the entire line."

Smiling GoGo was happy to see his knowledge went beyond just robotics, chemistry, electronics and theoretical sciences.

"A two-speed centrifugal supercharger on a nine hundred and ninety eight cubic centimeter single line double overhead camshaft engine..."

"Nice huh?" Okay, she had to admit; now _she_ was impressed. He really knew his stuff.

"More like nuts, how on-WHY on earth would you ride something like this? Are you completely-wait, what's that?"

Smile gone and eyes narrowed in annoyance, it perked back up when she noticed him looking closer at a particular piece of hardware, a very special piece of hardware.

"Is...is...is that?"

"A turbocharger? Yep, did it myself. Not bad huh?"

Eyes wide, the boy looked at her like she just asked him if he wanted to set himself on fire.

"Why on earth would you put a turbocharger on that thing?! It has a built in supercharger already! Thats like putting booster rockets on a missile!"

Eyes now upward at the mention of booster rockets, she caught herself before getting too far ahead.

There was always the weekend after all.

"Hiro, didn't you ever wonder where my nickname came from?"

"Nickname?"

At first she was confused, but then it hit her. Jaw dropping, it took a moment for GoGo's brain to reboot. When it did, she was doubled over laughing.

"Oh my god, did you really thin-HAHAHAHA! Seriously? Did you really think GoGo was my name?"

His face once again red with embarrassment, and once again she managed to pull herself together. Sure the laughing had stopped but she was grinning from ear to ear like the cat that ate the canary. Patting him on the shoulder she looked him over before handing him her helmet.

"Put that on, and I'll show you where my nickname came from," she told him as she climbed onto her ride. Zipping up her jacket she pulled out a pair of ear buds and was putting them in when she looked back over at him. She could see him eyeing the helmet, then her, then the door back inside.

"Come on Hiro, I've never wiped out on my girl before, and I'm not going to start now. None of the points on my record are from accidents, I swear."

That didn't comfort him anywhere near as much as she hoped it would.

"But...I...don't think this is a good idea. I mean, if, you know?" He gave a helpless look.

"Hiro, I don't know what's going on, but I think you're making a bigger deal over this than it really is. I doubt the police are really following you and your aunt around every time you set foot outside your home."

"And if they are?"

"Then they'll have their work cut out for them today."

She was of course lying through her teeth, but he didn't need to know that. She had seen someone watching them from a parked car across the street since the moment they stepped outside. Still her smirk was confident and it didn't waver. That was apparently enough to convince him to listen to her.

"What about you? Don't you need a helmet?" he asked as he finally put it on and moved around to the back of her bike.

_*Snort*_

"Legally? No, not within San Fransokyo city limits. Woman up and hop on."

Gingerly and cautiously he got onto the back of the seat, trying to maintain as much distance between them as he could.

_*Sigh*_

_"It's Honey Lemon all over again."_

"Hey, if you sit like that, you're going to fall off the second we start moving. Scoot up." Looking over her shoulder she saw he had moved up, just barely. Rolling her eyes she shook her head.

"Hiro," pausing, she mentally cringed. "do you trust me?" It was a simple statement, but the hard look she gave him spoke in volumes. He frowned, pursed his lips for a moment, then nodded. "Then you need to listen to me okay? I'm a pretty good driver, but these things require balance to work, just like a bicycle, you've ridden a bicycle before right?" Seeing him nod again she continued. "I'll keep it tame, to let you get use to it, but I need you to work with me alright?"

"Y-yeah, sure, alright," his voice cracked. "Bu-but, I've never, um, ridden, on a motorcycle before, just Ta-Tadashi's moped."

GoGo chuckled and shook her head, smiling at his frown. "You're telling me after flying across the city, doing all those barrel rolls and flips on Baymax's back, holding on with _magnets_, you're afraid of my bike?"

Hiro's frown deepened. "Baymax was a robot, with a flight simulation program and a thousand sensors giving him real time data."

"He also had zero flight experience. I've been driving for almost four years now, three of them on bikes." When he didn't respond she reached back and grabbed one of his arms, ignoring his protesting and put it around her midsection, held it in place, then reached back with her other hand and did the same with it. "This, is the equator, understand?"

"Uh?"

"Your hands go north or south of the equator; bad things happen, got it?" Seeing realization hit him like a truck, she was ready for his reaction, holding his hands in place as he tried to yank them away from her. "Hey! Quit it, I put your hands there so it's okay. Just don't move them too much and you'll be fine. You said that you trust me, so how about showing it alright?" She felt guilty for using his trust in such a way, but the longer they were sitting there the more nervous she felt. Something just wasn't right, they were being watched, but by a lot more eyes than just the ones from across the street.

Thankfully Hiro seemed to get the message and stopped struggling to get his hands out from under hers. Patting them, she leaned forward and used her foot to push up the kickstand. Before starting her ride she looked over her shoulder one last time at her passenger. "I'll keep it slow for a bit, but I have to at least stay above the minimum speed limit," words she never in her life thought she would utter "but let me know when you're feeling up to me letting her out okay?"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Hm?"

"GoGo, this bike has more horsepower than most small engine aircraft."

"...good point...eh, just, lean in and hold tighter."

"Wh-" his question was cut off by the sound of an engine the likes of which Hiro had never imagined. A whine and three short coughs were all it took for the beast to rise, not even two seconds from ignition to living and breathing. It was at this point that Hiro remember the rather _in_famous nickname this particular bike had earned.

_Fire breather_

The sudden noise hadn't frightened him as much as it startled him, and of course his natural reaction had been to tighten his hold on the young woman in front of him, clinging to her light a frightened cat hanging from a tree.

Oh what a mistake that had been.

A high pitch whine was the only warning he had as the motorcycles oversized and overpowered engine quickly woke from its slumber. Mentally he could see it working, the turbocharger accelerating and sucking in every ounce of air it could pull before compressing and forcing it into submission.

Again the turbocharger gave a high pitch whine, but this time it was accompanied by the deep guttural roar of the engine itself. This of course startled Hiro a second time. Hiro, now clinging to GoGo like a steel bear trap, had just signed his own death warrant.

With a flick of her wrist GoGo set the black beast into gear. Leaning heavily to her side GoGo spun the bike around, using her leg as a pivot point to face the open road in a quick burn out before releasing the breaks.

To put simply, the world _moved_.

Peeling down the small back road behind the Hamada house, it took only an instant for them to reach the far end where GoGo brought the bike to a stop just as quickly as she had brought it to life. Hiro's heart, now tied with that of a humming bird's, had only a moment to realize they had stopped moving, and even less time to realize it was due to the stop sign at the end of the road.

By the time his brain had processed this it was already too late, and once again they were moving, now on the busy streets of San Fransokyo.

Two seconds, that was all it took, two seconds and he could both hear and _feel_ the bike beginning to shake, its transmission having reached the limit of its first gear. This was followed by a pause shorter than a heartbeat as its second gear came to life. The response was immediate, lunging forward like a predator it accelerated further, the roaring whine of the engine increasing in both power and pitch until again there was the shake and tremor of the gearbox reaching its limit.

Only a second and a half had passed since the first shift.

Hiro's brain was already having trouble keeping up, and they hadn't even hit third yet. Feeling a tight pain in his chest the boy realized he had been holding his breath since GoGo had turned the ignition switch.

_"Breath, breath Hiro,"_ he coached himself as the seat under him rippled with power. Feeling it shifting to third he was unprepared when GoGo leaned to the side and brought them over into the acceleration lane.

_"Uh oh"_

Thought turned out to be slower than action. Or, at least _his_ thoughts were slower than _her_ actions.

Half a heartbeat later he felt the familiar shaking tremor of an overstressed gear.

_"This thing is red lining through every gear in under three seconds! What kind of person would be insane enough to actually WANT one of these?!"_

As if to respond the bike shifted into fourth.

_That_ turned out to be a completely different experience all together.

So affixed to the sounds and the jerking of acceleration, Hiro had only just started to notice they weren't actually moving much. His analytical mind quickly figured out the reason, especially when the fourth gear kicked in.

_"Normally it just has the supercharger, and they only start working once you're actually moving at a nominal speed for the intake scoop to have enough air resistance to power it. She put the turbocharger on it to boost acceleration to force feed the supercharger."_

It was like the holographic display he had used when designing their suits. He could see the inner working of the motorcycles engine down to the finest detail and the math behind every aspect of it. This of course only caused him to panic further as he could see the numbers and equations along with the visual of the engine itself.

Power generated by supercharger equal to air resistance present to feed it. Air resistance to feed it equal to current movement speed and profile of bike multiplied by aerodynamic drag. Turbocharger increases acceleration and 'burns' through low gears to reach top speed as quickly as possible. High acceleration equals high resistance to feed supercharger. Increased resistance to feed supercharger equals increased speed. Increased speed equals increased resistance to feed supercharger.

GoGo had created not a perpetual motion engine, but a perpetual _acceleration_ engine. The entire system fed itself, gaining speed based on how fast it was already going.

The fraction of a second it took for Hiro's brain to compute this was only marginally faster than the time it took for the (formerly dormant) supercharger to do what it was designed to do.

While still a 'whining roar' the sound of the engine was now distinctly different from what it had been a moment ago. The only way he could describe it was like an eco effect, a reverberation of the engine that wasn't as high pitch. Of course this was nothing compared to the physical effect from GoGo dropping them into fourth.

First to second had been a jump. Second to third had been a lunge. Third to fourth? The nearest Hiro could describe it was...

**"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

Of course his screams were drowned out by the beast itself.

GoGo leaned to the side again, zipping them around a bus, before leaning back to the opposite side and guiding them around a car and back into the acceleration lane. This was followed by a sharp lean that angled them almost enough for the bike to fall over on its side, mostly due to Hiro. Thankfully his fear had long since paralyzed his muscles into a vice grip on the (clearly insane) driver he was now at the mercy of. All of this however didn't frighten him anywhere near as much as when he realized _why_ she had made that steep angled turn.

They were getting on an interstate ramp.

Residential zone highway speed limit. Thirty five miles per hour.

Interstate speed limit. Seventy five miles per hour.

Charging up the ramp without even a hint of deceleration, Hiro knew things were about to get bad.

If only he know _how_ bad.

Fourth gear was unwinding, fast, despite GoGo weaving in and out between cars, trucks, busses, and all other manner of wheeled vehicle that dared stand in her way or even _try_ to slow her down. Key word of course being _try_ as there seemed to be no force on heaven, earth, or hell that could actually do so.

_"This is-she's-wh-"_

A shuddering whine and tremble below for once _calmed_ him, fourth was at its limit. _She_ was at her limit.

The quick drop in RPM's was followed by the clunk of a fifth gear falling into place.

"Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiAAAAAAAAAA**HHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

Clamping down on GoGo with all the strength his arms had left, Hiro was positive that right now, at this very moment, he was going to die. Not get hurt, not get maimed, but _die_.

Eyes squeezed tight Hiro waited for the inevitable end to come. A car turning without a signal, a rock on the road, a piece of glass, a nail, a change in the winds direction, anything that made just the tiniest of shifts that would send both of them into a fiery explosion of fire and death.

Now flush against her, Hiro couldn't understand it. Why it was she wanted to die and take him with her. What had he done? Had he accidently insulted her? Was it something he said? Something he did? That's when he noticed something.

_"Wait...we're not dead?"_ Cracking one eye open, it was to see GoGo effortlessly gliding them around traffic, same as she had been doing since they started down what Hiro would forever call the highway to hell.

Feeling brave enough to open his other eye, Hiro raised his head slightly from her back to look around them. The interstate was as traffic laden as ever, with barely any room or space between each vehicle, yet GoGo was dancing between the vehicles as easily as one would step over the crack in the sidewalk. Sure they were all moving pretty fast, but nowhere near _as_ fast.

Heart pounding in his throat and all but hyperventilating, Hiro couldnt understand how she was so calm.

No, not calm, it was more than that, he could literally feel it.

Under his left hand he could feel her heart was beating steadily, just as under his right hand he could feel her breathing was just as normal as anyone would expect of someone resting or relaxing. Beyond that however was what he found most unusual. Well, more unusual than her being perfectly calm and at ease despite the speeds they were moving at or the near reflex level twitch steering she had proven capable of.

There was just something...about her he couldn't wrap his head around. Not an 'aura' or anything like that, but more of a presence. These thoughts ran in the back of his mind as GoGo weaved through the lanes to an exit ramp, and for the first time since they had started this mad dash of insanity decelerated as they joined the highways traffic.

_"I don't recognize this place...where are we?"_ Looking around for some hint or clue, Hiro couldn't find a single familiar landmark along the busy streets. It was packed, but traffic was moving at a steady pace. To either side as far as the eye could see was row after row of restaurants and diners with the odd department store every few blocks. Flashing lights and brightly lit signs decorated the building fronts, very few of them were in English he noticed. It wasn't until he started noticing the unique shapes and designs of the buildings that it hit him.

There were in China Town.

Slowing to a crawl (in comparison to earlier) GoGo pulled them aside and parked in front of a small restaurants before looking over her shoulder at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You okay back there?" she asked as she pulled out her ear buds.

Several moments passed as Hiro tried to process everything. For one they had stopped. Second thing he noticed was the engine was now off. He felt GoGo shifting and moving her legs, pushing his own back and looking down saw that she had put down the kickstand.

"Y-yeah, good, I'm good, fine. I think?"

Her eyebrow didn't lower, nor did her expression change.

"You sure you're okay?"

Swallowing, Hiro nodded several times in quick succession, not wanting to provoke her.

"You're absolutely sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just...wow, that was...that was."

"Fun huh?"

"It was insane, but...yeah, that, that was pretty awesome," he replied with a small smile. For the first time in weeks he actually felt kind of...good. Forgetting the bleak darkness he had been mired in and instead just enjoying the moment.

"Really made an impression on yea huh?"

Nodding again his smile was beaming.

"Mind doing me a favor then?"

"Sure, you name it!"

_*Pop*_

"Would you mind letting go of my breast?"

Blinking, time stopped as Hiro's brain broke down her statement, and then took note of just where his hands happened to be, more specifically the left one. Dimly, the memory of how calm and steady her heartbeat had been as they bull charged down the interstate flashed across his mind.

"I-I, uh, I-I"

_*Pop*_

"Sometime today would be nice?"

Yanking his hands away from her his mind was a complete mess at war with itself. Half of it demanding him to apologize while the other half screamed at him to beg for mercy.

Rising from the bike, GoGo carefully and calmly removed the helmet he was wearing then lowered herself to look him in the eye.

_*Pop*_

"I warned you, north or south of the equator and bad things would happen."

"GoGo, I _swear_, it was an accident-"

_*Pop*_

Grabbing him by the collar she pulled him so close that their noses were almost touching.

"You have a wallet?"

"Uh, I mean, yes! Yes I have a wallet!" Reaching into his back pocket his shaking hand was barely able to find the thing, but as he was quite sure his life now depended on it, he was able to find it and held it between them like a protective charm.

Rather than taking it, GoGo simply eyed it for a moment. "Anything in it? Money?"

Thinking back, he was fairly certian he had _some_ cash left after the police had raided his room. Checking to be sure however, he felt his chances of survival improve just slightly when he saw there were indeed several fives and a few tens still in there.

"Yyeah, I have, um, some?" _*Gulp*_

_*Pop*_ "Good, then you're buying, come on." Turning to leave GoGo started for the restaurants entrance.

"...what?"

Pausing she looked over her shoulder. _*Pop*_ "I sprung you out of there, gave you a lift, and you felt me up. I think lunch is more than a fair trade."

"It was an accid-, wait, sprung me out? You threatened to drag me outside in my boxers, that's, that's kidnapping, or at least coercion."

"I gave you a choice and you picked; now come on, the lunch crowd is thinning out and I want to get a good booth before the dinner crowd gets here."

Watching as she left, Hiro swallowed. His entire body shaking he looked down at his now twitching left hand. A small smile growing as he hopped off the bike and ran for the entrance.

* * *

><p>Stan's Soapbox<p>

Face Front, True Believers! Time for some more questions from our readers! Since last chapter was a tribute I forwent answering anon reviews from chapter 3 in chapter 4, so I'll be answering those here as well.

**Naflah ****chapter 3 . Jan 29: **Aww,, thanks for mentioning me! I thanked you so much! Beh, fred's dad sure is hilarious. (-_-) Anyway, good chapter! Wanna see more HiroGo! :3

No problem, always happy to answer my readers questions when I can, I want this story to be as enjoyable as possible to as many of my readers as possible. The Chronicles of Stan and Fred will be a regular part of this story, I promise. As for wanting to see more HiroGo, I hope this chapter gave you a little taste. I'll say this right now however; it's going to be some time before they are an actual couple. Relationships take time, especially when there is an age gap like this one.

**Uniasus ****chapter 3 . Jan 31: **I loved all the details of Gogo's delivery. Super vivid and gave us both an good image of what she was doing and what she was thinking. Keep it up!

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed my first attempt at writing parkour! I was worried that people would find it overly detailed and boring, especially since it took up most of the chapter. The goal was to show GoGo as an athletic young woman who loves not only speed but freedom in a general sense. These factors will play an important role in the future.

**Urazz ****chapter 4 . Feb 2: **Glad you updated! I can feel a bit bad for Gogo as she does feel out of her depth with Hiro and is afraid of what he can do. I can definitely understand her wanting one of the others to help Hiro out instead but I think she'll come around.

We'll be trying our best to keep this story updating as regularly as possible, so your appreciation is greatly welcomed! Likewise I'm glad that I was able to get across GoGo's mental and emotional state since this is a very important chapter. There is more going on and things that haven't been revealed yet, key details of her past that will be coming to light to help explain things better.

**That Weird Girl ****chapter 4 . Feb 4: **Your story's pretty good, and we see that Fred's more useful then we think. Quite a twist, might I add! I read the whole page of Chapter 4, and I'm really sorry. But hey; whenever you need it, if you vent out feelings anywhere, there will be one person who cares. Love this story! :)

I am glad that you have enjoyed the story so far, and hope you will continue to in the future. Believe it or not most of what was used for Fred in this chapter is all based on information given to us by the books and site, in short, all that stuff Fred does in his free time? Its canon not made up. As for Monty's passing and what happened in the past, it's still there, but I'm trying not to dwell on it. To dwell on Monty's death would be to dishonor his memory as he was a firm believer in using every experience as inspiration rather than to let it hold you back or stop you.

That's all for now, but be sure to pick up your next issue when they hit the stands! Until then, always remember, Excelsior!


	6. 6

(For future reference, Fred's mother in my story is voiced by Estelle Harris, should have made that clear previously.)

"Greetings true believers and welcome to the exciting world of the Big Hero 6! Last time after a brief period of unease, GoGo was able to get a hand on the situation with her leader and friend Hiro."

"Meanwhile after a brief startle on GoGo's bike, Hiro got a hand on-" *Ow*

"Fred, what did I tell you, there could be kids-"

*Beeb* *Beeb* *Beeb*

*Sound of vinyl inflating*

"Hello." *Waves* "I am Baymax, your personal healthcare assistant. I was activated in response to you saying 'Ow'.

"Oh crap, no don't scan-"

"Scan complete."

*Fred frowns and glares*

"My analysis indicates you are suffering from, Irritable, Bowl, Syndrome."

"I knew it!"

"Hehehehe, you're in hot water now Freddy."

*Glares*

"Additional scan complete. My analysis indicates you are suffering from, Bowl, Blockage. On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"That's it, I'm taking you both to see a doctor and get your stomachs pumped! Heathcliff! Heathcliff! Get the car ready!"

"I am capable of performing stomach pumping." *Produces what looks like a bicycle pump*

*Stan and Fred turn to each other and nod before running for the family portrait* "Excelsior!" Both shout as they dart into the hidden room and don twin jetpacks.

Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6, not even the DVD (yet). If I did I would have a team of artist illustrating this and writing it for me instead of posting it here. HiroGo would also have been confirmed by the end of the movie instead of just hinted at and wouldn't have been given mixed signals by the crew.

With that out of the way, here it is, hot off the presses! Heroes Rising: Issue #6!

* * *

><p>While the restaurant itself was unfamiliar to him, Hiro had been to San Fransokyo's China Town more than a few times over the years. So he at least knew what to expect from the area.<p>

This however did not prepare him for what he found upon entering the restaurant. The moderate sized crowd was nothing surprising, his aunt *did* run a cafe in their home after all. Nor was he surprised by the large number of Chinese customers. China Town, it was to be expected.

What surprised him was everything else.

Across the walls were kimonos, katana, pictures of samurai warriors or shogun lords, large war fans and even the occasional suit of samurai armor.

Now, history and geography had been far from Hiro's favorite subjects in school, but he was fairly certain that the customers and employees were the only things even remotely Chinese in the entire building.

His observations were cut short when he caught sight of GoGo waving him over to a booth.

A booth less than six feet away from him.

_"How did I not see her there?"_

Not wanting to keep her waiting and risk any more marks against himself, he quickly slid into the seat across from her and tried to look absolutely anywhere else but her direction.

This foolproof plan to avoid further embarrassment had failed to take one important factor into consideration.

GoGo

"Ouch!, GoGo?! What the heck?!" Pulling his leg up and holding his now very much hurting shin Hiro glared at his attacker.

_*Pop*_

Pointing her thumb at the waitress waiting patiently, she raised an eyebrow. "Thought you might want something to drink."

"And you had to kick me?"

"No," she replied with what was becoming an all too familiar grin.

_*Pop*_

Turning his attention to the waitress, who was now tapping her pen Hiro chuckled uncomfortably. "I'll just have, uh, whatever she's having."

Before leaving, the waitress gave the two their menus, Hiro of course taking the opportunity to try and use his as a shield and distraction from the situation.

That and he was slightly miffed with GoGo. His shin _hurt_.

_"Who knew GoGo could kick so-"_ pausing, he remembered just who it was he was thinking about and mentally face palmed. He made her suit after all, just like he made the others. Fred and Honey Lemon were pretty much average when it came to build, if not a bit thin in Honey Lemon's case. GoGo and Wasabi had been more difficult, same with Baymax.

The problem with Baymax had been his 'huggable' design, to function normally there was a certain amount of air pressure his body regulated to maintain. If he was 'deflated' then it reduced his mobility and balance. It had taken a few tries, but like a ball pressure puzzle he'd managed to get the nurse bot tucked into the armor he'd made without it popping a second time.

GoGo and Wasabi on the other hand, had quite a bit of muscle, and this made giving them armor all but impossible. Initially he had used the scans he took to make them form fitting carbon fiber armor. It was light weight, durable, and could be made pretty quickly, just as he had done for Baymax. What he hadn't taken into account however was the difference between a human's body and a robot's body.

Because of how similar their projects were, and how similar their suits were prior to being 'upgraded' he made them at the same time. Which meant he got to see how badly he screwed up twice at the same time.

There was nothing wrong with the armor itself, painstakingly crafted from his scans it fit them perfectly.

But only as long as they stood perfectly straight with their arms out to their sides.

Wasabi had tried flexing his arms, only for his biceps to actually split the carbon fiber in half, while GoGo...well.

He blushed when he remembered how she fell face first and almost hit the ground. Almost, because he had been so stunned by what Wasabi (self proclaimed as 'just a nerd') had done he didn't notice until she had fallen on top of him.

The problem was that unlike the servos of a robot, muscles bulge when they move, their mass shifting, pulling in one of two directions. The scans he had taken had most of their muscles at rest, so their contours didn't allow for movement.

Simple, basic, obvious. And he had completely overlooked it.

After taking several additional scans, the trio had decided the only way to effectively do anything would be to forgo all but the most basic and critical of protection.

_*Pop*_

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Snapped out of his memories Hiro blushed again and looked away.

"If you keep doing that I'm just going to keep kicking you. Now come on, fess up, you still thinking about your little venture north of the border?" she asked with a teasing smirk.

It took a moment for her words to sink in and him figure out just what she was implying.

This of course brought on yet another blush.

"N-no! I wasn't thinking about that!" he retorted, perhaps a little too loud as he noticed several people sitting around them were now staring at him. Shifting his focus back to GoGo, who was giving him a *very* doubtful look, he decided it would be in his best interest to just tell her the truth. She couldn't tease him that way.

He hopped.

"I was thinking, back when we were at Freds," he started, and noticed her expression change to one more pensive as she looked over him to the entrance.

"What about it?"

Giving a small half hearted chuckle, he tried to muster up a grin as he continued. "Remember the prototype armor I made you and Wasabi?"

Quirking an eyebrow she nodded.

"I still can't believe I made such a stupid mistake," Hiro said with a small chuckle. Just another mistake he'd made, another for the record books he thought morbidly.

While she couldn't tell what was going through his head, there was something about that last comment that bothered her.

"Wouldn't say it was that big of a deal. In fact, I'm not that surprised, most of us would have made it too," she offered.

"Oh come on, there is no way any of you...well, except maybe Fred would make that kind of a mistake," Hiro amended.

Snorting, GoGo shook her head. "First of all, Fred would have had us out there wearing yellow and blue spandex with twenty foot long capes." Glad to see the small smile on Hiro's face, she continued. "Second, me and Wasabi both deal with mechanical stuff all the time, and even through Honey Lemon is a chem student, all three of us would have made it for the same reason you did."

Seeing that she had his attention, she went in for the kill.

"Everything we do has to be exactly measured, perfect. If one of my minimag's is a millimeter out of alignment, my bike's chain would lock up and I'd do a face plant. Trust me, I've done it a few times so I know."

"Wait...what?"

"Hiro, we're students, we make mistakes all the time. Everyone does. Honey Lemon's flooded the Nerd Lab with so many chemicals that it's a miracle we're not all yellow armadillo's yet. The first time Wasabi fired up his plasma field the containment grid was out of alignment and it cut my first bike in half. Hell Tadashi set the lab on fire."

Cringing at her oversight and mentioning his brother and _fire_ of all things in the same sentence, she was surprised to see a pair of wide eyes and a gaping jaw looking at her instead of a depressed turtle.

"No, way. I don't believe you."

Pulling out her phone, she made a quick search before handing it over to the teen.

If it was possible, Hiro's eyes would have become even wider.

There, in the picture was the Nerd Lab. It was difficult to tell if there had been any actual damage however as the entire room was covered in a thick layer of foam.

Leaning over the table, she slid the image aside to show another picture, this time of Tadashi standing in front of several firemen and school staff. Sliding that picture over revealed one of Fred wearing the foam like a beard.

"Can, I, uh?"

"Sure, nothing in there too bad. Only have a few more pics from that night though."

Sliding the picture aside brought up one of Fred and Honey Lemon making snow angles in the foam covered floor, and sliding that picture aside showed one of the duo making a snowman out of foam.

On Wasabi's lab bench.

The picture after that showed a very irate Wasabi chasing the two around the lab, which was followed by a video clip. Curious, Hiro played it and was surprised to find a short loop of Wasabi chasing Fred and Honey Lemon, only to slip on the foam and fall flat on his back.

"What, happened? I mean, with the lab?"

Taking back her phone, GoGo popped another bubble.

"Tadashi had just started on," pausing GoGo changed her wording at the last second, not wanting to bring up more bad memories than she had to, "his project, and set his soldering iron down on something Honey Lemon had given him. It caught fire and when he tried to put it out things just got...worse."

Seeing that Hiro was curious, she chuckled and had to push back a light blush of her own. She wasn't exactly the social type, and the few people she didn't find to be outright annoying were too easily intimidated. That was something Hiro shared with his late brother, wary of her, but not afraid.

"Honey has this little tradition where she makes a sweater for every new student that comes to the Nerd Lab."

"Makes them? You mean like knits them?"

GoGo nodded. "Knits, crochets, sews and stitches, you name it. She makes the ugliest most gaudy things you've ever seen and gives them out after the first week. Turns out its her own little way of testing people, at least I think."

"You think?"

GoGo leaned to one side, then the other before pursing her lips.

"She's never told anyone, it's just a theory really, but I've noticed when she gives someone a sweater and they thank her for it? She's nice to them, friendly, talks their ear off. If they throw it away or refuse it she avoids them. If she see's you wearing it...well, you're basically stuck with her. There are some up sides to that though, turns out she's actually a really good cook, brings snacks and cake to the lab a few times every week. Still can't figure out where she puts all those calories though." The last part was more or less muttered under her breath, but Hiro heard it all the same and started laughing.

"So how did you figure out her 'sweater test' exactly?"

Face now pointing down to hide the slight blush of embarrassment, GoGo pushed it aside just as quickly as it appeared.

"When she handed them out my year, I was the only person who actually took it. When I noticed she avoided everyone else in the lab from my year it just sort of clicked."

Hiro eyed her, curiosity switching over to suspicion.

"You kept it?" When she nodded in response he asked what anyone would have in his shoes.

"Why?"

Though it seemed to catch her off guard.

"What do you mean why?"

Hiro held his hand out towards her before responding. "I barely know you, but it's kind of hard to imagine you wearing something like an ugly Christmas sweater, at least willingly."

_"Smart kid,"_ GoGo thought to herself before popping another bubble.

"It was raining, and I was cold."

Hiro snickered at her admission.

"So you have no problem flying down the streets and driving into the harbor, but a little cold bothers you?"

_"Cocky little-"_ stopped short, GoGo blinked. Where was this coming from? Thinking back she couldn't recall him ever being-

That made her blink again.

Aside from when he first met her and the others, the only other time she could really say Hiro was nervous or unsure of himself was before his demonstration at the expo. Those two instances aside...

Memories from the dock, Hiro's insisting that he and Baymax could take Yokai, after their 'splashdown' in the harbor, at Fred's home, in Fred's workshop, the island, the bunker, even at the Krei building, during all of it Hiro might not have kept his cool, but she couldn't recall him ever actually being _afraid_.

_"Now THAT is interesting."_ Filing her new realization away for later, she schooled her features and gave Hiro a withering glare. _"Let's see just what this kid is made of."_

"Hiro, have you ever had to wear a soaking wet leather jacket or pants before?"

Seeing him shake his head in response, she leaned forward on the table and looked him dead in the eye.

"Wet leather itches, chafes, and it sticks to you all at the same time. Then when it starts drying it gets hard, stiff as a diving board. You can barely walk, and you do *not* want to sit down because that just makes it dig in and ride up even more. Imagine having the worlds itchiest wedgy riding up your ass while wearing a coat made out of sandpaper. Does that sound like fun to you?"

The red tinged teen took a moment before shaking his head *no*.

"Now keep in mind that it was _very_ cold and I was _very_ wet. Then out of the blue pops this bubbly blonde with a giant fuzzy wool sweater. What do you think I did?"

When Hiro didn't answer her she did for him.

"I took it, threw off my jacket, pulled it on and huddled next to the lab's heater for an hour."

Hiro coughed in his hand.

"So you don't like the cold? I guess that explains why you were so ticked at Fred when you thought he was joking about where he lived."

"I was born and grew up in Japan, it's called the land of the rising sun for a reason."

The look of bewilderment on Hiro's face caught her off guard, enough so that she looked behind her in case there was something going on she hadn't noticed. Looking back at Hiro she found him looking exactly the same as he did when she looked away, but then his gaze drifted to the walls, then back to her.

"So that's why you came here?"

"Huh?" For once it was GoGo's turn to be out of the loop.

"This restaurant, I was trying to figure out why you came here," Hiro explained before adding "I didn't know you were Japanese."

"Watashi wa, Nihon iesu de umaretaga, watashi no ryōshin wa kangokujindesu shita."

Hiro blinked.

"What?"

"I said that I was born in Japan, but my parents are Korean," she translated, barely stopping herself from mentioning her surprise that Hiro couldn't speak the language when his brother did.

"So you can speak English and Japanese? Wow, I flunked Spanish three times before giving up on it, probably would have graduated a year sooner if I hadn't bothered taking it."

GoGo nodded. "I can also speak Korean, but not as fluently. As for why I decided to come here, it's where we use to hang out and go for lunch. Wasabi use to work here, and Honey Lemon roped me into this little game her and Tadashi played on him."

_"Lord what's wrong with me? I'm trying to get him to open up and I keep bringing up his brother."_

Though he did pause, it was only for a moment, then of course he asked exactly what anyone else in his shoes would have.

"What kind of game?"

Thankful that he didn't seem to be dwelling on her faux pa, she thanked her lucky stars and rolled with it.

"Well, back when Wasabi was working here, he was just starting out as a chef. And Benito's has a policy of letting customers customize their meals. So we'd come down here when we knew he was on the clock and deliberately order random or weird stuff to give him a hard time."

Hiro blinked.

"Uhh...isn't Wasabi like, your friend?"

_*Pop*_

"Mostly, yeah, but it was our way of taking a little revenge for him always being so uptight around the lab." She could tell from his expression that she needed to back that up a little. Sure it sounded awful one sided, but Hiro hadn't been there for what she and the others had endured.

"Look, I know it sounds bad, but you have no idea how bad Wasabi use to be. He's _still_ bad, but at least now its limited to _his_ lab station. He'd go around putting up anything and everything he saw that wasn't 'where it's suppose to be' even if you had just put it down. And if that wasn't bad enough, he'd wait till everyone left and reorganize their stuff if it wasn't the way he thought it should be."

"Why on earth would he do that?" He was curious, though she could see Hiro wasn't completely on her and the others side just yet.

"Because he's a pessimistic OCD perfectionist Hiro. That's why his plasma grid was off and it cut my prototype in half the first time he fired it up. He had it perfectly aligned, but he hadn't taken into account how unstable plasma is when he made the thing. It's not like working with lasers, they don't stay consistent unless your power source is continuous. And good luck finding an AC generator with that kind of output."

"But why is that such a bad thing? I mean, I saw the lab, I would think having someone that's willing to do all the cleanup for you would be like, awesome," Hiro commented, remembering all the times his aunt had nagged him to clean up his side of the room.

"I told you, he'd reorganize it _his_ way. You have any idea how annoying it is when you have your _own_ system and someone goes and changes it? I have my spanners organized based on how often I need to use them. Out of the entire set? That's like, three of them, four if I have to tinker with the drive train. Mister neat freak? He organizes them by size, metric and standard _merged_. I tried putting electrical tape around the handles of the ones I actually needed, but he'd just peel it off and scrub the glue so they all looked like a matching set again. He'd even take your discs and organize them based on how much space was left on them, and don't even get me _started_ about what he would do to your laptop if you didn't lock it when you weren't using it."

"Uh...yeah, I guess that would be kind of annoying."

Raising an eyebrow GoGo shot the younger teen a look of profound befuddlement.

"Kind of annoying? It's _really_ annoying. How would you like it if someone reorganized your workshop?"

Mentally cursing, GoGo swore she was going to get a C.A.T scan or an M.R.I as soon as she could. It just wasn't like her to make this many screw ups.

_"Not like you really have a lot of experience when it comes to talking with people,"_ part of her brain reminded her.

Hiro's reaction was a shrug.

"Wouldn't know, if I even _had_ a workshop, which I don't now, I probably wouldn't care since I don't organize anything unless I have to."

_"Sarcastic little thing isn't he?"_

She knew it was wrong, but the longer they talked, the more and more she found herself comparing Hiro to his deceased brother. Doing so however she was quickly beginning to see that there _was_ no comparison between the two.

While Tadashi was mild, laid back, thoughtful, patient and always polite, there had been a few occasions she could recall that Tadashi proved more than capable of witty banter. It took very specific circumstances to goad it out of him however. Those instances aside and not counting accidents or emergencies he was the poster child of calm and in control, very little in the way of extremes.

Hiro on the other hand was just the opposite. He was focused, energetic, spontaneous and snarky, or he was withdrawn, quiet and evasive. Always one extreme or the other, it was enough to label him as bipolar were it not for one simple fact. The change between the two 'faces' wasn't random, it didn't happen out of the blue or for no reason. It depended entirely on who he was around. Around strangers he was the shrinking recluse, while around people he was comfortable with he was the Snark Knight.

Her mind replayed their ride here on her bike.

_"No, that's not true either. He was terrified when we first started, but then he calmed down. So it's more than just who he is around, it's what they are doing."_

Seeing him scratch under his chin, something stood out, something small, but again different, at least from Tadashi, and by extension Wasabi and Fred.

"Hiro, are you left handed?"

The action was small, something that people did every day, minor and insignificant, but GoGo knew it was also a tell.

"Yeah, why?"

_"So that explains it...well, some of it."_

"You mean you don't know about lefties?"

Brow drawn together in thought, he shook his head. "Noooo, not really, just a pain when you're trying to find tools or playing sports."

"It's why you flunked Spanish...and probably why you didn't care about Wasabi's OCD-ness."

"Huh?"

"Left handed people use the right side of their brain."

"Yeah,so ? Everyone knows that. Left uses right, right uses left, they teach that in normal grade school."

"Language and motor skills are on the _left_ side of the brain."

"Oh." Hiro blinked.

"Wait, how do you know so much about the brain? I thought you were in engineering?"

"Mechanical and Industrial engineering, I'm double majoring," GoGo fired back with more than a small touch of pride.

At this point the waitress returned with their drinks, and asked if they were ready to order. GoGo, having been here many times knew exactly what she wanted.

"Yeah, I'll have the shrimp and vegetable tempura, and a side of coleslaw." As the waitress wrote down her order Hiro realized that he hadn't actually had time to look through the menu, having spent the entire time talking to GoGo.

"And you?"

"Uhhhh...you have anything spicy?"

The waitress eyed him doubtfully before turning his menu to the back page.

Hiro had to admit that he was both surprised and impressed with the variety the place had. He noticed the restaurant's name at the top of the menu 'Benito's Burgers and Bistro' before glancing down at the 'Hot and Spicy' section, which to his disappointment was actually pretty small.

"Grand Phoenix Sesame Burger? How big is that?"

The waitress rolled her eyes. "Bigger than you could handle."

GoGo face palmed. Hiro was falling hook line and sinker for the oldest trick in the book. Tell a guy something was too much for him and he'd jump off a cliff to prove them wrong.

"I'll give it a shot," Hiro fired back smugly.

Once the waitress was out of hearing range GoGo gave Hiro a look of disappointment.

"You do realize she just played you right?"

"I know she was _trying_ to play me, but it's the hottest thing they've got. Besides if I can't finish it I'll just brown bag it for dinner."

Quirking an eyebrow GoGo smirked.

_*Pop*_

"Mind telling me how you plan to hold that bag riding on my bike?"

Opening his mouth to speak, but pausing, Hiro tried to figure out just how he could do such a thing.

Smirking, GoGo held her hands up to her chest. "I'll save you some trouble, despite what you might think, these here? Are _not_ handles."

Hiro's face flushed red as she popped another bubble. This of course had GoGo laughing.

Once she pulled herself together, she was surprised to find Hiro looking at her with a smile of his own.

"You *do* know that I'm going to get you back for that right?"

Now smirking GoGo leaned with her elbows on the table. "Oh is that so? Tell me, is that a threat little man?"

Hiro's smile didn't change in the least.

"Nope, just a friendly warning," acting as though he was checking his fingernails, Hiro tilted his head slightly.

GoGo snorted, but before she could say anything their food had arrived.

"Wow, that...that's faster than most drive through's," Hiro muttered as his and GoGo's meals were set out.

Giving his soup bowl sized burger the once over, he could tell it was *far* from face melting spicy, but if it was good enough he wouldn't be too disappointed. Glancing up he noticed GoGo's smirk.

"What?"

"There is no way you are eating that entire thing. It's bigger than your stomach."

"You really don't think I can eat this?"

"No more than I think you could beat Honey Lemon in an arm wrestling match."

Nodding slowly, Hiro retrieved his wallet.

"Care to put some money on that call?" Hiro put down a twenty.

"What? So you can scarf and stuff the thing then barf on my back when I make a turn? No thanks."

Hiro put down a second twenty.

"I can eat the entire thing, and I won't throw up as long as _you_ don't pop any wheelies."

"There is no way you can-" Hiro put down another twenty.

Holding her hands up, GoGo stopped him. "Okay, alright, I believe you, but I'm not betting. I'm not taking your money."

Hiro put another twenty down.

Eyeing the small stack of twenties, then Hiro, GoGo felt a familiar smirk spread across her face.

"Okay, you're on, let's see what you got. You throw up _before_ you're inside the Lucky Cat you lose, keep it down, you win."

Hiro surprised her by holding out his hand.

"Hmm?"

"Shake on it."

Smirk shifting to a smile, GoGo took his hand and the two gave a firm shake.

* * *

><p>Stan's Soap Box<p>

Face Front, True Believers! Time for some more questions from our readers! Last chapter was a turning point, FIFTY reviews, I'm simply astounded, thank you, thank you all for taking the time to read and review my story. I've started posting on DA and AO3 as well, though it gets nowhere near the traffic. You guys are the reason I keep going and keep working, so thank you again!

**Urazz chapter 5 . Feb 5:** Rofl...Figures Hiro would accidently grope Gogo while freaking out a bit about her taking on a high speed motorcycle ride. The motorcycle ride with Gogo was similar in my opinion to when he was first flying around with Baymax where he was freaking out at first and then enjoying it as time went on.

This does get me thinking that Hiro himself is a bit of an adrenaline junkie himself or at least will have the potential to be one if his bot fighting (and the consequences are any indication) and enjoying flying with Baymax are any indication. I can definitely see Hiro and Gogo pretty much going out routinely doing stuff like that.

In your reply to Naflah, you mentioned how it's going to take some time before they are an actual couple. I agree, though any good relationship in any story takes time and has some good buildup for it. You could probably get around this a bit by doing a time skip in my opinion. Though I would suggest only doing something like that when their relationship grows to a certain point and it'll stay at that point for awhile. For example, you could do a timeskip when Hiro and Gogo have become good friends with the occasional flirting/teasing from Gogo and then do a timeskip to the point where their relationship is about to become romantic.

Well, it was an accident (this time lol) but to anyone that thinks it was just a random event, I'll point out a specific review GoGo's bike has received (yes its a real bike!) "Acceleration unlike anything most people have ever experienced, we say most as there are a handful of people out there who have piloted the SR-71 Blackbird." So Hiro's fear and reaction is a bit easier to understand knowing this lol. I *did* use his first flight as a guide though, you were right on the nose with that, sharp eyes! While afraid at first he found himself enjoying the experience once he realized he wasn't going to die.

While not an adrenaline junkie like GoGo, Hiro **is** a thrill seeker and he loves to have fun, he also loves a good challenge. Now combine Hiro's love of tinkering with GoGo's speed junkie tendencies and you have quite a bit of fun to be had.

As for time skips, there will be a number of these used, but even with them it's STILL going to take time. This is due to the number of ideas I have for this story that I want to use. I already have five arcs planned for after this arc. Some will be longer, others shorter. If you need an idea for the span of time that's going to pass check out my other fic 'Family Is', which offers small glimpses into the future of Heroes Rising. The time skips will occur between arcs ;)

**Naflah chapter 5 . Feb 5:** Yes! You sure gave me a little taste in this chapter. And again, i thanked you for answering my review and for the HiroGo part! X3 You make Naflah so happy!

Hahaha, glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoyed the little taste I gave in this chapter ;)

**Mark chapter 5 . Feb 6:** Ok! I want to see Stan Lee whoop some gov ass xD haha idk. Though I hope there's some super hero action and the city realizes the abilities and good Big Hero 6 can do!  
><span>Can't wait for more Hiro and GoGo fluff! Will she tell him her real name?<span>

Stan *might* get to see some action, I haven't decided yet on that actually. I do have a few ideas in mind but if you mean the 'Adventures of Stan and Fred' they are purely for humor, there wont be any fighting...well, aside against the injustices of overeager meter maids and aluminum siding perhaps. I can put one fear to rest however, there *WILL* be super hero action, MORE than you could imagine. This IS a Marvel property after all, so there are going to be some guests and familiar faces. HiroGo fluff is abound as well as this chapter hopefully proved. Lastly in regards to her real name? You'll just have to wait and see ;)

**Guest chapter 2 . Feb 10: **Shit this is good. That character devepolment. You really have to keep going now I wanna see it ALL!

(By the way, spelling/grammar mistake: it's not *un*sincere, it's *in*sincere. IT'S INSINCERE!)

Glad you have enjoyed the story so far Guest, and I'm glad you think the character development is good, and of course I'm glad to hear that you want me to keep going ^^. As for the (un)sincere line was not a spelling/grammar error, it was my attempting to paint a verbal picture of GoGo's expression. She is what I like to call 'sneaky snarky'. GoGo is for the most part very blunt and direct, but she had a bit of a sassy streak to her when she's having fun. Since I suck at drawing and write this instead of draw it as a comic, I have to make due with what I have. Still I'm glad you are enjoying this and I hope you'll continue to read and review in the future!

That's all for now, but be sure to pick up your next issue when they hit the stands! Until then, always remember, Excelsior!


	7. 7

"Greetings true believers and welcome to the exciting world of the Big Hero 6! Last time our intrepid hero's began their Amazing-Not-A-Date! While things began awkwardly and uncomfortable for both parties, tensions soon eased and both were able to take their first steps towards a better tomorrow. Starting with embarrassing stories about their friends and relatives, and then themselves. What awaits this dynamic duo's future? What problems lay ahead? What-"

"-in the name of Sam Hill is that!"

Pausing his monolog, Stan looked in the direction his son was pointing only a moment too late.

The two jetpack wearing heroes soon found themselves trapped in a massive spider web spun in the middle of the city between two large buildings.

"Impossible! I sold him! He can't be here! He's Sony's problem now!"

"Who? Dad! What's going onuuuuch!"

Turning to see where the small blast of energy had come from, Fred's eyes widened.

"...Wow."

Hovering before him was what could only be described as a blond Amazon in a black form fitting suit with a yellow lightning bolt running down the front that covered plenty but left nothing to the imagination. Before he could say anything his mouth was webbed shut as a familiar red and blue costumed hero landed beside him.

"Everyone gets one Fred."

Seeing the questioning look in his eyes the web spinner leaned closer. "Trust me, she can go toe to two with the Hulk and kick his ass, you do not want to piss off Miss Marvel. I just saved you a life time of needing a straw to use the bathroom."

Moving from Fred to his father, the large reflective eyes of the mask narrowed.

"Now, about these puns you've been making. I have some friends that would like a word with you, but first, about that little deal between you and Mr. Belgrad. I'd like to have my contract...renegotiated."

Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6, not even the DVD (yet but I will in five days!)

* * *

><p>Though it had taken only a few minutes to finish her meal, GoGo found that she was actually enjoying her and her young companion's outing. After the bet had been made, she just knew that Hiro was going to scarf down as much of his burger as possible, cramming it down his throat without even bothering to chew like a half starved duck.<p>

Or like Fred on any given day.

But, as seemed to be the case when it came to anything involving the younger Hamada brother, he surprised her.

Calm and relaxed, he didn't seem to be in any hurry as he ate his own lunch. Sure, his mouth was open as wide as it could get for each individual bite, but that was just so he could actually _take_ a bite from the thing. Even when he talked as he ate (something she despised) it wasn't to reveal a large half chewed mass of undetermined origin. Rather he somehow managed to stuff the entire thing into one cheek before speaking, like a giant hamster or chipmunk, she actually though it was kind of cute.

"So, what is with this place?" he asked, pausing to wash down another bite of the oversized burger.

"What is with this place?" she asked, not quite following.

"Yeah, I mean, you know. _WHY_ is there a Japanese themed burger joint in the middle of _China Town_? It's kind of...weird."

GoGo shook her head at the question, remembering how last year she had asked the exact same thing, and how Tadashi, Honey Lemon and Fred hadn't had a clue either. The only difference being they had never even noticed. Fortunately Wasabi _did_ have an explanation. Though she wasn't about to tell him that.

"Ohhhh, that, yeah, it's really complicated."

"Really?" Setting down his burger and looking around with wide eyes, he cast a glance back her way.

With a crude snort turning into a chuckle, GoGo flashed him a grin. "Neh, not really. It's actually pretty smart when you think about it. This use to be a noodle place, like the other ten we passed coming here you know?" Seeing Hiro nod she continued. "Well it wasn't exactly doing very well, not quite going out of business bad, but it wasn't exactly bringing in the money. So the manager apparently went out one day and noticed how there was always one Japanese or Chinese place in every strip mall or every row of fast food joints. One, just one, not ten, not twenty, just one." Hiro nodded again so she continued. "He decided to try and do the same thing here, but the other way around."

"Huh?"

"He made his place into something different, similar, but different enough that people would notice it. First it was just traditional Japanese food, but he made so much after the first year he was able to buy out his neighbors on each side and expand."

"You're joking."

GoGo shook her head.

"He made _that much_ in a _year_?" When GoGo nodded, he asked the only question that came to mind.

"How?"

"What do you mean how?"

"I mean HOW?" Taking a bite from his burger and another mouthful of soda to wash it down he continued. "I mean, don't get me wrong, this thing is good...okay it's _really_ good, almost as good as Aunt Cass's, just, nowhere near as hot. I don't even know why they have it listed under hot and spicy, because it's not. But even with food this good, how on earth did he make enough in a year to buy out _two_ other businesses?"

"Because a lot of people apparently really liked his food," GoGo offered before adding, "You do know that willingly doing the same thing every day without question *is* the definition of insanity right? Change is good, change is nice."

"Change is never good," Hiro countered, taking a particularly large bite from his burger.

"That's not true, change _can_ be bad, I'll give you that, but it can also be good, even when it's bad."

Hiro's previously falling smile was now replaced by a mild glare.

_"...damn it, what the hell is wrong with me?!"_ GoGo was mentally about to bash her head in with a tire iron when another thought popped up. It wasn't much, not enough to blot out her blunder, but it would give Hiro something else to think about.

"Look, remember when I told you about my little run in with the police?" Hiro sighed but nodded. "Well, if I had never been caught, and never got arrested, I never would have gotten into SFIT, I never would have met you, and we wouldn't be here right now."

Hiro blinked, and stared at her.

"Yeah, hard to believe isn't it? Shoot, if I had never been arrested I'd still be back in Japan, probably boosting rich kid's cars and selling them to chop shops." _"Or dead in a ditch somewhere,"_ she added mentally.

"Sooo, you really _were_ arrested? That wasn't just you pulling my chain?"

Moving her finger over her chest she shook her head to one side. "Cross my heart and hope to die, I've got a rap sheet as long as a roll of toilet paper, and that's just the stuff they actually caught me doing." Knowing she had Hiro's attention she couldn't help but lean forward and toss him a nugget to chew on. "I got away with a _lot_ more than I got caught for."

She could see Hiro looking her over again, like many before him. Unlike the leers and gazes she saw or felt over the years this one was full of doubt, not want. When his eyes finally met hers, she didn't blink, she didn't look away, she didn't even move. Calmly and coolly she met his eyes with her own, holding them until he blinked.

Licking his lips, Hiro looked back down to his burger deep in thought. He remembered back at the docks, when she had pushed Wasabi aside and took the wheel to get them away from Callaghan she hadn't just stepped on the gas and ignored every stoplight in their path. With the exception of Baymax (who was a robot) and Fred (who was...well, Fred) they had all be scared stupid, even his little act of bravery and claim that Baymax could handle the situation was half misguided stupidity and half lying through his teeth. But she had kept her cool and acted without pause or question to get them out of there, she saved their lives.

_"But if what she is saying is true, then...she's a criminal?"_ He tried to picture her doing anything remotely illegal, but aside from street racing or ignoring traffic laws, he just couldn't see it.

_"Maybe she's just teasing?" _Remembering the look he had just seen in her eyes shot that idea down. _"She saved us, helped us, she was the first one to agree with my idea of us being super heroes, she-"_ Hiro's heart stopped when he remembered how she had been the first to try and stop him, then Baymax when he had removed the bots Healthcare chip, the first to chew him out for trying to kill Callaghan, and then the only one to comfort him when they returned and found him in his aunts garage.

Strong, courageous and honorable were the first words that came to mind when he thought about her, followed by comforting, caring, and protective. He just couldn't picture the young woman he had met that day, who welcomed him to the Nerd Lab as a hardened criminal.

His musings were cut short when he felt a pair of hands take his from across the other side of the table. Looking up he could see she was leaning down to his level.

"Hiro, like I said, good changes _can_ come from bad things. If you had known me three years ago, you wouldn't recognize me now; I was a completely different person back then." Letting go of his hands and drawing back to her side she shook her head with a sigh. "I did a ***lot*** of things back then that I'm not proud of, and I made a lot of mistakes, but...I won't lie...I did have a lot of fun doing them."

"Why?"

Hiro jumped at the sound of his own crackling voice. It had been a thought, but not one he intended to voice. Here she was opening up and telling him things he could tell bothered her just from how she was acting, the way her voice grew thick the more she talked. But rather than just _listen_ he had to go and open his big mouth.

"Why did I do it?" Sighing, GoGo sank into herself ever so slightly, though it didn't escape his attention. "Because I...because we needed the money at the time. As bad as you had it growing up, and I'm not selling you short here, you had it a lot easier than I did when I was your age. Japan isn't the most…_accepting_ of countries, especially for someone like me."

Several long minutes of silence passed between them after that. Finally it was GoGo who broke the uncomfortable cloud that hung over them.

"I can't say that I know what you are feeling or going through, not completely...but I do know how it feels to have something taken away from you, and just...how appealing it is to take something back for yourself," raising her eyes to meet his she continued, "You feel like you deserve it, that you aren't doing anything wrong," her eyes lost their focus and were no longer looking at Hiro, but through him. "You're just taking back what is yours, making things fair, even." Closing her eyes she took a deep breath. "But after awhile, you don't even care anymore, it's not about what is fair, it's about what you want."

A slight chuckle passed from her coupled with a wistful smile. "But like I said, that was another time, another me. A lot has changed since then, and I'm glad it did."

"What, you know, changed? Just getting arrested made you change your mind?"

Taking another deep breath, GoGo shook her head. "No, not by a long shot. I...maybe one day I'll tell you the whole story, but I'd really rather _not_ talk too much about then, if you don't mind. To be honest, I don't like thinking about how I use to be, what I use to be like. I still love to go fast, and I'm still plenty stubborn, but, that's about all I have in common with what I use to be...who I use to be. I'm...happier now," she admitted with a small smile. Turning her attention back to him, she tilted her head slightly.

"What about you?"

"Me? Uh, I only got arrested once."

GoGo's eyes widened for a moment, then turned to a smirk.

"Nice try, you almost had me there," she chuckled. "Have to give you credit though, solid ten out of ten for an ice breaker."

Hiro's face went blank.

"Uh, I really _*did*_ get arrested once, the same night I met you and everyone else actually."

Brow drawing together it was GoGo's turn to give the young man a closer look. As brilliant as he might have been, she knew he couldn't tell a lie to save his life.

"Sooo, what, something happened and you got arrested after you left?"

Hiro shook his head.

"No, it was before actually. I was...well, hustling some bot fights, and kinda got into a little trouble," Hiro paused to take another bite from his burger. "Long story short, Tadashi's moped can outright a pissed off fat guy and his goons, but not a dozen police cruisers. Not that he would have even tried," he added bitterly.

"Wait, you're telling me that you _and_ Tadashi were arrested?"

Hiro nodded, keeping his attention focused on the half eaten burger in his hands.

_"Everything always goes back to Tadashi in the end doesn't it?"_ he thought with a sigh. It had been months, but no matter where he looked, what he did or who he talked to, everything always went back to his brother.

"So what happened?"

"What do you mean what happened?"

"I mean what happened, come on kid you can't leave me hanging, Tadashi never told any of us about this. Mister Goody-Two-Shoes, Ultra Square of the universe, actually got arrested?"

Though just thinking about his brother still felt like an ice pick being driven in his heart, there was a tiny part of Hiro that could see why GoGo found this so interesting. In her own words, he was a goody two shoes, not just a 'good guy' or 'nice guy' but someone who followed every rule, law, or command he was given. Not as someone who was afraid to break a law or a few rules, but someone that believed in them whole heartedly. He had known his brother for his entire life but couldn't recall a single time he had actually done anything to get into any sort of trouble unless it was because of him.

GoGo hadn't known him for anywhere near as long, but like anyone who spent five minutes talking to him she knew the kind of person he was.

So the idea of Tadashi getting _arrested_ would have grabbed the attention of anyone who knew him personally.

"After we were caught, along with almost everyone else that was at the fight, they locked us up. Since they only had two cells and I was the only minor, I got one for myself while everyone else got crammed into the other cell," Hiro explained.

"Everyone else? How many people did they tag?" GoGo asked, her eyes narrowed slightly and her lips in a small grin.

"I don't know, forty, fifty maybe?"

Eyes and mouth now open wide; it was her turn to stare.

"No, uh uh, you're exaggerating."

Hiro chuckled and shook his head. "No I'm not, I'm totally serious. It was a huge fight that night; Yama came out of retirement and was offering double down for anyone that could beat him."

"Yama?" GoGo asked, not recognizing the name.

"He's like, this urban legend almost for bot fighters. The guy was undefeated for almost ten years and made a living from bot fights. But he just kind of disappeared a few years ago, no one knew why, but once a year or so he comes out and people from all over California try to see how they measure up against him."

"And, what, you looked up to him too?"

Hiro''s eyes scrunched together.

"No, I just wanted to see if I could beat him. And after I did was when the cops showed up."

GoGo's lips pursed for a moment as she watched Hiro take several more bites from his burger.

"You just wanted to beat him?" she finally asked, breaking the silence that was trying to creep in again.

Hiro nodded to reply rather than speak.

"Was he the reason you got into bot fighting?"

Eyes scrunched together once more Hiro shook his head.

"Nope, got into it because it was fun, I didn't learn about him till that night actually. I'd only been bot fighting for..." pausing to count on his fingers he then continued "eight, maybe nine months? I was only five when he retired, so he was kind of old news by the time I got into it."

"But why illegal bot fighting? You know there are all sorts of school sponsored bot fights, and hobby clubs, nerd circles. Were you saving the money up for something? Someone?" she ventured.

Now giving her a very curious look, Hiro stayed silent for a good minute before responding.

"Whats up with the twenty questions? You're starting to sound like Tadashi."

The remark hit hard, but more from the realization of how her questions must have seemed from his perspective than anything else.

"I'm just curious; most people get into that kind of stuff because they need the money, like I did. But like I said, after awhile...it starts to change." Though it was only a sliver, she could see a hint of curiosity of his own flickering within his judging eyes.

Sighing she shook her head. "I started out small time, wallet and purse snatching, but then I moved up to more...expensive things. I never actually broke into anyone's _home_ but eventually I was stealing cars, and then I was racing them. We really were in a tight spot when I started out, but I was making enough in one night to last us for months. Still, I kept going out; kept looking for a bigger payday, needed a stronger rush...I just kind of...lost myself in it all. I told you, I really did enjoy myself then, but you? There actually _are_ ways to enjoy what you do that are legal."

Hiro snorted, surprising her.

"Tried it, well, most of it. I was going through grades as fast as I could just to get out of high school, so I never bothered with them. But I did try out at the clubs and some hobby groups."

"And?"

"And I creamed them. Had an entire closet full of trophies, ribbons, and certificates before the cops took everything. It was too easy, no challenge."

"No challenge? Hiro, I might not be into robotics, but I know plenty of people at SFIT who are, and I've seen what most of their bots can do."

"Yeah? So have I, like I said no challenge. Most of them use saws, claws, or hammers, predictable and pathetically easy to get around. Clubs and hobby groups, they bot fight for fun, but gamblers? They fight for money, more incentive to win."

Slowly but surely GoGo was starting to get a better picture of just who Hiro Hamada was. And the more she saw, the more it hurt.

Similar, yet different.

_"Hiro doesn't care about money, and he doesn't want recognition or even respect, he's just bored, looking for something to challenge him." _As she had said, there were legal ways for Hiro to enjoy his fascination and skills in robotics. The problem was he didn't have anyone or anything to push him to his limits. It was pretty easy to see just why Tadashi brought Hiro to the Nerd Lab that night. Just as had been the case with her, lacking any real challenge she went looking for one, and combined with her families situation it lead her down a very dangerous path.

The same one Hiro was taking.

"So after you got out, Tadashi brought you to the Nerd Lab to show you a legal way to challenge yourself?"

Hiro chuckled and shook his head.

"Actually, after Aunt Cass came and got us, I was going to go back out and hit another bot fight..."

_*Pop*_

Looking up Hiro was surprised to see for the first time GoGo's bubble had popped unintentionally, the pink mass plastered all over the bottom half of her face.

Of course he found this combined with her dumbfounded expression hilarious and started laughing.

Ignoring his laughs and taking the time to clean her face, GoGo's thoughts were running a mile a minute by this particular little revelation.

_"He's THAT reckless? He just got arrested and he was going to go back out AGAIN the same night?!"_ Though at the same time she had to admit the kid had a larger pair of stones than quite a few guys she knew, the fact remained, Hiro had a serious problem. _"He was sneaking out, probably every night, and still bored out of his head. Now he's locked himself up in that room and..."_ As much as she hated to think it, Hiro's depression was actually a _good_ thing in one respect; it was keeping him in check. Tadashi had lived under the same roof and hadn't been able to keep an eye on Hiro, or even really direct him, it was depression, mother nature's Prozac that finally did the trick.

_"This isn't good. Without Tadashi around Hiro doesn't have anyone that could actually direct him. He's got some sense in him now, but he's going to start getting bored eventually, and now with all this crap going on he's got a fair bit of anger to go along with it."_ Eventually she was brought out of her musings when she realized that Hiro was talking.

"-was annoyed that he tricked me, but it did work I guess. I mean, yeah, I wanted to attend after meeting you, uh guys and...Professor Callaghan." Hiro groaned. "It's just not fair, everything was going to be good for once, and all of, _that_ had to happen. Why is it always me? Did I piss off the god of bad luck or something?"

Their conversation was interrupted by a chirp from GoGo's phone, something that surprised even her given how few people knew her number.

_From: Fred_

_Hey GoGo. I told you I would help with that project of ours. Got some big news, will swing by later. Expect food._

Reading the message over, something in the back of her mind was screaming at her that something was very wrong. It wasn't until she read the message for a fourth time that she picked up on just what it was.

_"No shorthand, no abbreviations, no leet and no exclamation points. Either this message isn't from Fred..."_ Her eyes widened slightly. _"Or it's the most subtle warning in the history of the world,"_ she thought.

"Something wrong?"

"Oh, uh, no, not exactly...well, sort of," she lied. "Partner for one of my projects wants to meet up this afternoon and discuss a few things."

"So, you need to get back now?" Hiro asked evenly.

GoGo was more than able to read between the lines and pick up on the well guarded disappointment.

Offering a sad smile, GoGo shrugged, knowing she had to play up the part. "Yeah, sorry about that. Real life, it always gets in the way of having a good time doesn't it?"

Hiro chuckled and nodded. "You said it. Real life, what a drag."

Gaze shifting downwards, GoGo's eyes widened when she noticed Hiro's burger.

Or rather, its absence.

Following her line of sight to his empty plate, Hiro scratched the back of his head nervously. "Uh, I was hungry?"

Now looking back at him, GoGo flashed a not so innocent smirk.

"You still have to keep it down you know." It was a statement, not a reminder. And that was what frightened him the most.

Hiro gulped.

* * *

><p>Speeding down interstate, the pair ducked and weaved in and out of traffic same as before.<p>

Unlike last time, Hiro was not terrified out of his mind or paralyzed with fear. They were still present, and he was still screaming at the top of his lungs, just not like before...

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

One arm secure around GoGo's waist, the other held high above his head as the younger teen let loose a series of whoops and hollers that would have made a Bigfoot Hunter proud.

For GoGo's part, she was content to enjoy Hiro's antics. It hadn't taken long for him to come around, which surprised her at first until she remembered their flights with Baymax. If she was able to bring him just a little bit of fun, help him forget everything that was going on around him for just a little bit, then she was more than happy to share her private escape from the world with him.

But, like all good things it had to come to an end eventually. All too soon the familiar sight of the Lucky Cat was looming over them. That was when GoGo decided to have just a little fun with Hiro, and make one last effort to win their bet.

Gunning the throttle, she slammed on the breaks and veered them into a tight turn, forcing the back end of the bike to fishtail as she brought them to a stop.

She was only mildly disappointed when he jumped off the back of her bike and his arms were the _only_ thing being thrown up.

"That, was, totally awesome!"

GoGo smirked as she popped another bubble.

"Glad you enjoyed it, I was worried there for a minute."

When he took off her helmet, it took every fiber of her being to not fall off her bike laughing at his hair.

"Worried? About what?"

"That you were going to be a total buzz kill like you were before."

"I was NOT a buzz kill," Hiro defended.

"You screamed like a little girl," she goaded.

"I did not!"

GoGo cleared her throat and coughed into her hand before letting out a high pitch (and highly accurate imitation of Hiro's) scream from before.

Hiro, now red with embarrassment was giving her a half glare half pout. "I didn't sound like that...and I wasn't afraid."

Climbing off her bike and approaching him, GoGo tilted her head to one side and raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Yes, really!"

"You're sure?"

"Yes! Yes I am sure! I wasn't scared!"

"So everything you did, and said, including the screaming was on purpose? Not an accident or just being a wuss?"

"For the last time, YES! I wasn't afraid!"

Mentally, GoGo was shaking her head.

_"Poor kid, how many times is he going to keep walking into the same trap?"_

For all his intellect and for all his genius, he was painfully easy to mess with.

"So you grabbed my breast on purpose?"

"YE-! NO! No! That was an accident, I swear!"

She knew that she should feel bad for teasing him like this. But for the life of her, she just couldn't bring herself to. It had been a long time since she had this much fun teasing someone.

"So it was an accident?"

Hiro's face turned a shade of red that was almost purple, and GoGo decided to show him just a little bit of mercy.

But _only_ a little.

"Well, you *did* pay for lunch, but I prefer a few more dates under my belt before letting anyone under my shirt like that," winking, she ruffled Hiro's hair and took back her helmet.

"S-so it was, a, um, date?"

She could hear the little twinge of hope in there, and it felt like a knife twisting in her stomach. She had completely forgotten about her earlier teasing, and the mental note to set him straight.

Setting a hand on his shoulder, she schooled her face as best she could. Normally she would have just settled him down gently, but with everything else going on she figured he could use a little something to hold to cheer him up.

"A _lunch date_, not a _date_ date. Nothing personal, I'm just...not interested in a relationship right now. I've got enough on my plate between my classes and work, just no time for anything else. Besides, and trust me when I say this, I'm a _really_ crappy girlfriend."

She saw him wilt slightly, but there was a small smile still in place.

"Sooo, I guess that means this is goodbye then?"

GoGo's eyes scrunched together at that.

"Why would you think that?"

"Well, I mean, you said that you've got a lot going on, anand I don't want to be a bother. But thanks! Thanks for, you know, today, it was a lot of fun."

_"So, he's confused, disappointed, and he's going down again..."_

"Hiro, I said I didn't have time for a relationship, I never said I didn't have the time to hang out with you. I had a lot of fun; honestly I had a great time. I can't drop by everyday but I can try to stop by a few times a week...if you want me to at least."

The disappointment and confusion was still there, but he didn't look anywhere near as down as he had before.

"Really?"

GoGo nodded. "Really, things are kind of busy right now, I have a lot going on, but I'll see you in a few days alright?"

Hiro's smile grew a bit more with that. Nodding, he waved and started heading back to the cafe only to pause and look over his shoulder to see her climbing onto her bike.

_"Wait a minute...I won the bet!"_

By the time he made this realization however the black beast was awake and breathing fire once more.

Catching sight of Hiro rushing towards her, arms waving she feared that something was wrong. But a quick glance around them revealed nothing out of the ordinary, just that same uneasy feeling of being watched from earlier. Killing the engine she pulled off her helmet and was about to get off when Hiro clamped his hands onto her forearm.

_"Strong grip for a kid,"_ she noted.

"I won the bet!"

Several moments passed before it clicked just what he meant.

"Ah, yes...yes you did, didn't you?" GoGo smiled innocently, hiding the storm of curses and swears blowing within her mind.

"Look, uh, I'll have to take a rain check on that okay? I don't have that kind of cash on me right now, so-" "I don't want your money," Hiro cut her off.

_"Uh oh."_

"Well, what is it you want exactly?" her tone was civil, but there was just the tiniest hint of an edge to it. The large grin Hiro was wearing did not bode well either, and she could just imagine all the thoughts running though his little teenage mind at this point.

Leaning down to her level and looking her directly in the eye, his grin shifted into a smirk.

_"If he asks for a kiss, I swear I'm going to-"_

"Your name."

GoGo blinked.

"Huh?"

"Your name, you said that GoGo was your nickname, but you never told me what your real name was."

Her brain was stuck between neutral and park, so it took her a moment to react to this turn of events.

She smiled. It was small, but it was there. Not a smirk, not a grin, and it was small, but it was the first honest smile she had worn in a long time.

"Ethel, Ethel Tanaka."

He seemed surprised, and honestly she had expected a similar reaction given how uncommon her name was, but at least it was only surprise and not…

"Well, it was nice getting to know you, and I had a lot of fun, so thanks, Ethel," he offered with an impish grin.

_"Aaaaand there it is, I knew I shouldn't have told him."_

"Oyi, you think my name's funny? You're the one named after a sandwich kid," GoGo fired back as she teasingly (at least teasingly for her) punched him in the shoulder.

"Hey! It's Hiro, not Hero!

GoGo ignored him, about to put her helmet back on, she playfully stuck her tongue at him before slipping it back on and shoowing him off with a wave of her hand.

"See you around nerd!" she called out as she brought her bike back to life and sped away from the younger teen.

* * *

><p>Stan's Soap Box<p>

Face Front, True Believers! It's time for some more questions from our readers! Also as I mentioned in the opening I would explain a bit more about GoGo's name, so here it is. In the comics GoGo's real name is Leiko Tanaka, but in the movie universe it's Ethel (according to her voice actress and the director apparently). When I started writing this we didn't have that little bit of information, so I went with her comic book counterpart's name. Now that we do know what her name in the movie is, I've decided to work it into the story and as part of her background. The reason for this will be explained at a later date, I promise.

Likewise to anyone who didn't already know, this story now has a companion story of sorts by the title of 'Family Is'. This story offers little hints and glimpses of the future and gives readers an idea of what's to come. In part it's like a trailer for the story to grab your attention, but it's also an insurance policy of sorts. If anything happens and I'm unable to finish this story, there is enough there to give a rough idea for how things end up, but without any major spoilers that actually tell how or why they do. I'm not going to tip my hand THAT early ;)

And now, for our readers!

**RxN chapter 6 . Feb 12:** I love it its awesome :D  
><span>Yea! Hirogo!<span>  
><span>Please keep updating<span>

Well I'm glad to hear that you love this story and that you think it is awesome, and that you are a fan of HiroGo! We've actually got a group over on DA that I'm part of as well. It's not huge but there are quite a few good pieces of artwork you can find there and a few stories as well. I'll be posting a link to it in my profile later this evening. As for updates, I'll try to keep them coming as best I can!

**Urazz chapter 6 . Feb 16: **Lol. I get the feeling that Gogo is going intentionally try to get Hiro to throw up. She's not going to do any wheelies like Hiro mentioned as a condition but I wouldn't pass off her doing some other extreme stunts to get the same result.

It's also nice to see how they interact as well. It's pretty much how I expect them to behave around each other and it's amusing as well. I can definitely see them having various bets with each other as part of their relationship.

Anyways, keep up the good work and I hope you release the next chapter soon.

Well, she only tried a _*little* _as you can see lol. I'm very happy that you and others are enjoying and approve of the way I am showing their interactions. The movie, despite its length actually gave us very little screen time of Hiro interacting with anyone other than Tadashi and Baymax. So it's a lot of guess work involved when it comes to figuring out how Hiro and anyone else would be when they interact with each other. We have some clues based on their character traits but that's about it. This is also why I am slowly introducing new characters to the story, to make sure I understand and am comfortable with whom I have before adding more to the case.

As for Hiro and GoGo's relationship and how it works out, I wish I could say more but that would be spoiling. What I can say is that I've laid down a number of clues in this chapter that should be able to give a general idea of what's to come for these two. What I can say however is that both of them are *very* competitive, and that's going to play a factor in the future.

Thanks again for reading and for taking the time to review. It might not seem like much, but you'd be surprised how often I'll log in and just read the reviews my readers have left me. No that's not gloating or pride, just a simple statement. I look for pointers or advice, anything that is brought to my attention as needing work or correction and even ideas that come my way. Other times it's just nice to have some encouragement to keep going. This story is first and foremost written for me, but I write it because I want to share it with all of you.

Well, that's all the time (and questions) we have for now. I apologize for this chapter taking longer than normal but the weather has been crazy and it's a little difficult to write when you don't have internet...or electricity. *Shakes fist at groundhog before loading shotgun* Now if you'll excuse me, I have a rather large rodent to deal with.

Until next time, Excelsior!


	8. 8

Well February just seems to be the month that loved to kick us while we were down. Yet another chapter without the adventures of Stan and Fred I am afraid, and for the same reason. Once more, the sky has lost one of its stars and the world has become just that much dimmer than it was before.

February 27th 2015, at the age of 83, Leonard Simon Nimoy passed away due to complications from COPD. For twenty one of the last twenty six years, he and the rest of the crew of the U.S.S Enterprise have been one of my greatest sources of entertainment and inspiration. While Monty Oum was the man who stoked the embers of creativity and got me back on my feet, it was the work of Gene Roddenberry that first opened my eyes to the world of fiction and it's Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.

So, this chapter will be dedicated to him, as my way of saying thanks for all his hard work both in the world of fiction as well as conservation and charity. It is also my way to say farewell to him as he has now joined Gene Roddenberry, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, and Majel Barrett to boldly explore The Final Frontier.

"The miracle is this - the more we share, the more we have." -Leonard Nimoy, 1931-2015

* * *

><p>Checking the time on her phone yet again, GoGo sighed.<p>

_"It's quarter after seven. Where the hell is he? I dropped everything and hauled ass to get back as soon as possible, and he doesn't even bother to show up?"_

At first she had been worried, Fred's message had been strange to say the least and with everything else going on she was already a little on edge. After an hour passed that worry turned into annoyance. Two hours later and annoyance turned into outright hostility.

She had been having _fun_. Something of a rarity these days, in fact nonexistent after Tadashi's death up until they had stopped Callaghan, after which it went back to nothing. She had skipped her afternoon class and even from heading to the Nerd Lab to work on her bike, which was _still_ behind schedule and nowhere near far enough along for her upcoming demonstration in just a few weeks.

Three and a half hours after that, she was downright livid. If Fred showed his face, she was going to skin him alive and drag him down the road behind her bike.

At least to start. She had spent the better part of the last few hours coming up with new and creative method of torturing the hapless idiot, with her plans becoming more creative the longer she waited. Currently she was contemplating which could cause more pain on an open wound. Salt or chili powder.

A series of lightning fast knocks at her door brought her out of her thoughts though did nothing to improve her mood. Narrowing her eyes into a fierce glare, she rose and quickly made her way to her dorms entrance.

_"I'll start with a potato peeler, but then when he thinks it's over, I'll switch over to the-"_ all thought ceased when she opened the door.

She had expected many things, hoped for others, but expected many nonetheless. But from the countless possibilities her mind had summoned, this had not been one of them.

Standing before her, looking from side to side with a nervous twitch was Fred Lee. Hunched over and clutching a briefcase to his chest, he was wearing his mascot outfit and shaking like the last dying leaf on a tree in the harsh winter wind.

"Fred?"

Head snapping to her at hearing her voice, he lunged forward and closed the door behind him, locking *all* of her locks before running to her small table.

"Fred? What the-" she didn't get the chance to finish as he clamped his gloved hand over her mouth and whispered in the harshest tone she had ever heard to keep quiet and not say a word.

Depositing the briefcase on the ground he ran back to her table and took one of her chairs and propped it up against the door to jam it shut before rushing to her TV and turning it on, raising the volume as high as it could go then setting it to a Spanish soap opera. He then grabbed her arm and pulled her hard, nearly to the floor as he moved to the back or her dorm, briefcase firmly clutched to his chest once more.

"Fred, what the-" again she was silenced, but not by the hand covering her mouth.

It was the raw look of fear in his eyes.

Never, not once in all the time she had known him had she once seen Fred THIS afraid. Not when he spilt soda all over Wasabi's lab station, not even during Baymax's rampage.

THAT had her afraid.

Pulling her along until he found what he was looking for, the bathroom; he pulled her in and shut the door behind them, locked it, and turned on both the sink and shower.

The two stood in the middle of the room, all sound drowned out by the running water for nearly a minute before Fred finally spoke.

Looking her dead in the eye, he swallowed, and then frowned.

"We have a serious problem."

Only now able to fully absorb everything he had done, GoGo glared, but it again waned at the raw look of fear in his eyes.

Turning his back to her, he closed the toilet seat and motioned towards it before sitting on the rim of her shower/bath.

"I told you that I would try to give you a hand, but...I..." taking a deep breath, he cleared his throat and stopped. Reaching into his suit he produced a lighter and set it beside him then pulled the briefcase into his lap and opened it.

"Fred, what is going on?"

"GoGo, trust me, you _need_ to sit down. This is serious. Hiro is in a lot of trouble, and so are we. I don't know everything that's going on, man, I don't know jack, but I know enough now to know we are seriously, deeply, royally screwed."

Seeing that he wasn't going to say anything else until she was sitting, GoGo sighed and took her seat. Something was up, she could tell easily enough, but she also knew Fred had a tendency to exaggerate and blow things out of proportion.

_"He also thought a super villain trying to kill us was awesome,"_ part of her mind cautioned.

"Remember last time we talked, I asked you how they could interrogate a minor? And we both thought it was weird that the police would bug his room?"

"Yeah?"

"Well I found out how, and why," pausing, Fred swallowed. "GoGo, it's not the police. This thing, this thing is huge, it's..." Pausing again he reached into the briefcase and pulled out a folder and handed it to her.

The folder was unusual; she noticed that instead of the standard manila color it was a dark shade of blue. The second thing she noticed was the entire front covered with what appeared to be a large black eagle with wings spread open across the front. The 'eagle' was likewise enclosed within a large circle and she could just barely make out writing along the outside of the circle. Turning the folder around, she read the words under her breath."

"Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage Logistics Directorate?"

Fred nodded, "They operate under the Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division."

"And they would be?" Sure, she knew something was obviously wrong given how Fred was acting, and while wary, until she actually saw or heard something to convince her otherwise she would remain as such.

Fred took another deep breath and tapped the folder she was holding. "Open it, read it, fast if you don't mind."

With a raised eyebrow GoGo flipped the folder open and was shocked by what she saw. There, looking right at her was a photograph of herself, but not just any photograph.

It was her mug shot.

Looking up at Fred she was about to ask where he got the photo, but before she could even start he cut her off.

"Read it, the rest."

Glancing back down she moved the photo aside and found both a copy of her original record as well as a translated English copy. As soon as she realized what it was she ignored it and flipped it aside. Of all people, she knew those details by memory. What followed however was...disconcerting. Copies of every traffic ticket she had gotten since coming to the states, a photocopy of her driver's license and birth certificate, social security card, her diploma, medical records, her university transcript, banking statements, she half expected to find copies of her grocery receipts.

"Okay, so aside from the fact that I have a serious stalker problem? What is this? Where did you get this?

Rather than answer her questions Fred handed her another folder.

With a sigh she took it and flipped it open.

Much like the first, it was another folder filled with copies of records. Arrest, mug shot, school records, everything. The only difference was whose record it was.

Hiro's

True to his word, he had been arrested. Not that she thought he was lying exactly, but perhaps exaggerated a little.

Looking up she found a third folder held waiting for her.

"Is there a point to all this?"

Fred nodded but didn't say anything.

Sighing again, this time more in frustration than anything else she flipped the folder open, wondering if it would be Fred's or maybe Cass's this time.

She was surprised to find that it was neither. Though there was a photo looking up at her on top. Yet another photo of her, but this one was much more recent.

_Very_ recent.

There, sitting on her lap and looking up at her was a photo of her on her bike riding down the interstate.

With Hiro sitting behind her.

Head snapping up, she looked at Fred with more than a touch of alarm.

"Where did you get this?!"

Fred started, then paused, started again, but stopped, then finally spoke. "I can't tell you that."

"HOW did you get this?!"

Again Fred tried and failed to reply several times before again answering "I can't tell you that."

"Damn it Fred what the hell?! What is this?!"

"I...shouldn't tell you that," Fred replied after swallowing nervously before once again tapping the folder. "Keep reading."

Flipping the photo over she found several more from earlier that day, her pulling up to the Lucky Cat, going inside, even a few photos of her inside Hiro's room. As she flipped the photos over one by one she found an overall picture starting to form. There were photos of her on campus, entering and exiting the dorm building, the campus itself, the lab, thankfully she noticed there were none from _inside_ the campus at least but that did little to comfort her.

She found a number of pictures taken of her while delivering packages, one of her locking her bike up, and even one of the person who cut her bike lock with a pair of bolt cutters the previous week.

Unlike the others, she set that particular photo aside, earning a raised eyebrow from Fred.

"Personal," she replied, having set the photo face down so that he couldn't see it.

Finally there were no more photos left in the folder, but instead of records what she found appeared to be a report.

_"Subject Ethel Tanaka, prior association with target is unknown. No family connection or previously recorded contact between subject and target criminal history. Only established path of contact possible through deceased former student Tadashi Hamada (See case file 0493772 ongoing investigation). Preliminary interrogation of Robert Callaghan confirms both Subject and the deceased have/had access to San Fransokyo Institution of Technology's Industrial and Technological Research and Development Laboratories, however investigation into records have found no correlating accreditation between them. Data retrieval from confiscated materials of target indicates only singular previous contact between Subject and Target of no consequential nature. No previous contact discovered within confiscated materials of deceased to indicate any form of connection."_

Looking up at Fred, GoGo frowned before she continued reading.

_"Records indicate a single contact made between Subject and mobile device owned by the deceased several months after their death. Same mobile device was used to contact additional San Fransokyo Institution of Technology students Aiko Miyazaki and David Claremont, in additional to Fransokyo Institution of Technology mascot Fred Lee. Students Aiko Miyazaki and David Claremont confirmed to have access to San Fransokyo Institution of Technology's Industrial and Technological Research and Development Laboratories, no current information to indicate Fred Lee has access to same facilities. Mobile device used to initiate contact has made no further contacts at this time. Tracking and locating of mobile device has not yet been established."_

Turning to the next page GoGo's brow drew together in confusion.

_"Permission for continued observation is granted. Authorization for interceding is granted only upon confirmation of negative intention or actions taken by Subject on or towards Target. Current psychological analysis indicates no immediate threat or danger presented by continued contact of Subject towards Target despite Subjects criminal history. Established behavioral patterns indicate no clear indication of current criminal actions of consequence or concern nor which may impact current investigation 04332975."_

Shaking her head, GoGo looked up at Fred with a mostly confused but now slightly 'freaked out' expression.

"What _IS_ all of this? Fred, what the hell is going on?"

Fred swallowed and licked his lips before taking a deep breath.

"Look, you know what the NSA is right?" Seeing GoGo nod he continued, "Basically, these guys are like the NSA, but a lot bigger. I don't know much, but from what I can tell they work with, for, or are part of the UN Security Council. These guys, they are the _real_ deal, the Men In Black."

"But what is all of this? Why do they have," pausing she picked up the first folder and help it open to her mug shot. "This! Why do they have this! What is all of this Fred! Why are they treating Hiro like he's some kind of criminal?! He hasn't don't anything wrong, he hasn't done anything illegal...well, not since before Tadashi died, so why? What is going on?!"

"GoGo, these guys DO deal with criminals, but not all the time, all I know is they deal with _threats_, and not every threat is a _criminal_. Sometimes...something's good people with good intentions are the most dangerous thing on Earth. An honest person just trying to make the world a better place can be just as dangerous as some nut with a nuke."

"Hiro is a kid!"

"I know that, but it doesn't matter-"

"The hell it doesn't! Just because someone stole his invention, they're looking at him like he's some kind of terrorist?!"

"Yeah, they are, because in their eyes he _might_ be a threat. I told you, these guys don't deal with _criminals_, they deal with _threats_, and there is a big difference between the two."

"He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"I _know_ that, _they_ know that, it's probably why he is still at home with his aunt and not sitting in some white padded room somewhere. They don't care if he's done anything wrong or not, they don't care if he is a good kid or not, all they care about is if he is a threat or not."

_"This...this is WRONG."_ Shaking her head to clear her thoughts and push back the memories of her own childhood, GoGo felt her blood beginning to boil. Hiro wasn't a threat to anyone, not any more. She wasn't stupid nor was she blind, Hiro had the perfect opportunity to end Callaghan once and for all, but he didn't, he stopped Yokai and risked his life to rescue the man's daughter. He had a lot of unresolved issues floating around in his head and he needed help, but he was far from a threat.

"Why would they even think he was a threat? What makes him dangerous, at least to them?" she asked bluntly.

Fred raised an eyebrow at the question. "Uh, his brain? Remember what I said back at the bunker? Hiro didn't just design and create the microbots; he made all our suits too. The kid has a ton of potential, but depending on what he does with it...well, that's probably what they are worried about and looking at."

GoGo sank in on herself at that.

The truth of the matter was pretty simple, and that had been her suspicion from the start. But to hear someone else, Fred of all people voice similar thoughts was less than ideal.

_"He's been given a bad hand, like a million other people out there. But just because he happens to be gifted, they automatically expect the worse from him. Just because...wait..."_ Glancing up at Fred, GoGo's eyes narrowed in concentration.

"You said they _know_ he isn't a bad guy, and that was probably why he was still living with his aunt. Why did you say that?"

Fred's brow drew together in confusion. "What, you mean it's not obvious?" When she raised a thin eyebrow in response Fred sighed.

"Did you even read what was in those folders? Did you read the files? Hiro is under observation, same as you now, and probably me, and Honey Lemon, and Wasabi. If I had to, I would bet they've gone through Honey and Wasabi's places and looked for anything suspicious. You and I are the only ones they can't get to."

GoGo's blank stare made Fred groan.

"Think about it, there is no way they are getting in my house. My dad is too well connected and has too many friends in too many high places. It's too high profile to try and sneak in. You're here, in a privately funded university that's filled to the brim with tin foil hat wearing nerds. I told you before, they aren't getting in here, UN or not, this place has too many private investors who would throw a fit."

"So what about Wasabi and Honey Lemon? I've seen them...well, around; they didn't say anything or act different than normal."

"Well duh, Wasabi left his gear at my lab and Honey Lemon didn't have anything left remember? She set off her purse, and her costume wasn't exactly, you know, tech-y."

GoGo nodded, seeing his logic, which to be frank was starting to frighten her.

Glancing back at the report she noticed again the remark about a 'mobile device' that had contacted her and the others, which was odd since she didn't remember Tadashi ever calling her before...

Face palming GoGo let out a groan.

"Baymax, that's what this is all about, it's Baymax."

"Huh?"

"Fred that report mentioned a 'mobile device' owned by Tadashi that was used to contact us after he died. Tadashi died in the same fire everyone thought Callaghan did, but he turned out to be alive."

Fred slowly began nodding. "I see where you're going...Callaghan faked his death, and then almost wiped out ten blocks of the city. So you think that they think Tadashi did the same thing?"

GoGo nodded in reply. "It makes sense; you said that these guys are interested in threats, not criminals. Everyone thought Callaghan was dead after the fire, but he wasn't. Hiro said they didn't believe him or Callaghan about the microbot's being his invention. If these guys are half as paranoid as you make them out to be, I'm willing to bet they are watching us _and_ Hiro because they're waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Fred scowled while GoGo shook her head in disgust.

"That's a new kind of low, but I can see what you mean...Tadashi did install an iPhone in Baymax, I remember that because he was having a hard time with it getting a signal for awhile."

"And Baymax used it to contact us, that's how we tracked Hiro down to the docks. Calls coming from a phone registered to someone who's been dead for months is going to look suspicious when the other guy who 'died' in the same fire turns up alive."

"So you think they are watching us because they are waiting for Tadashi to show up?"

GoGo shrugged. "Possibly, maybe? I don't know...I just...something isn't right with this. Hiro...I get why he might be a blip on their radar I guess, but he hasn't done anything to really deserve this. Before Tadashi brought him to the Nerd Lab he didn't care about college or universities. He just wanted to have fun, enjoy himself and find a challenge. That's why he turned to bot fighting."

Eyes scrunched together, Fred raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know that?"

"Because he told me, I was eating lunch with him when you sent that text."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I took him out to Benito's and we just...what?"

Since arriving, Fred had switched between two modes. Fearful and paranoid. But now she was seeing another mode, one she didn't like.

Haughty

"What?"

"You? Took Hiro _out? _Now, that sounds a bit like a-"

"Don't finish that-"

"date," Fred teased.

Glaring, the teen held up the dark blue and black folders in her hands.

"Really Fred? Really? You come here telling me that I've got some kind of Government spooks stalking me and Hiro, and everyone else," (she ignored his smirk) "and now you're what? Trying to tease me or something? Why don't you try being just a little bit mature for once? I'm still trying to figure out why you're in your mascot outfit."

"Uh, because it's smart, and it's like, super stealthy, duh."

"Smart? Super stealthy? Fred, you're a six foot tall LIZARD, how is that stealthy? You're in a lizard suit, you're not a chameleon."

Fred snorted and crossed his arms.

"GoGo, nobody, and I mean NOBODY uses normal cameras anymore, and they haven't for the last ten years. All the police, military and government spooks use FLIR cams now, digital thermal imaging. This thing," Fred tugged on the neck of his mascot uniform "is designed for hot weather; it's got a water circulating cooling system and absorbs body heat. So yeah, I might stick out like a sore thumb on a normal cell phone camera, but on infra red? I'm to-ta-lly invisible. And guess which one the Government spends its money on?"

Stopped short, GoGo's eyes bulged. That was twice Fred showed a sign of actual intelligence.

It was official; she was starting to freak out.

"Since when we're you this smart?"

"Since always, _you_ just started listening to me after you saw an actual super villain with your own eyes."

Raising her hand and pointing at Fred, GoGo was forced to pause and consider his words.

"Look, I know that I seem out there a lot, and I might not be super smart like you and everyone else in the Nerd Lab, but I'm not a moron."

Sighing, GoGo shook her head. "I know, I'm sorry Fred, it's just, this...I don't know if I should be freaking out or worried about me or Hiro or you, Wasabi or Honey Lemon just...disappearing in the middle of the night."

"Hey, I'm freaking out too okay? I actually _DID_ change my underwear after I found that stuff."

GoGo's obvious disgust was summarily ignored as Fred continued.

"But you know what? I'm...not worried. To be honest. Scared out of my pants, but not worried. I mean, so what? If they come after us, what are we going to do about it?"

"Go down fighting, swinging, try to take a couple of them with me," GoGo replied without missing a beat.

"What?! They're just doing their job."

"So is the cop who tries to give me a speeding ticket. Doesn't mean I'll make it easy for them. I've seen this before; I _lived_ this for sixteen years. If they try to put me down because they think I'm some kind of threat, then I'll go down AS a threat and try to bloody a few noses first."

"But if you don't give them any reason to think you are a threat, they'll leave you alone. Same with Hiro."

"Hiro, who's pretty much lost everything except his aunt and his cat, locked himself up in his room and stewing in his depression you mean?"

Fred's shoulders sagged at that remark.

Narrowing her eyes, she could tell that he was fighting with himself over something.

"Is there something else?"

"Hm?"

"You're hiding something, I can tell."

Slightly panicked Fred held up his hands.

"No, no, no no no, no. I'm not hiding anything, I'm just...I don't know what to say...this is kind of...devils crossroads here."

Shooting her friend a curious look, GoGo motioned for him to explain himself.

Sighing and looking to the side before sagging, Fred groaned.

"You and Hiro went out to lunch today?"

GoGo nodded, warily raising an eyebrow just waiting for him to try and get a jab in on her.

"He told you why he got into bot fighting?"

"Yeah, you're point?"

"Did he tell you anything else?"

"Anything else? Like what?"

"ANYTHING else? I mean, you know, did he talk to you, was there any actual conversation or what?"

GoGo's eyes shifted to one side and narrowed in thought, trying to figure out where he was going with this.

"A few things, yeah. We just talked, for like, an hour."

"You talked to him, he talked to you, or you talked to each other?"

"We talked to each other," giving her head a small shake and beginning to lose patients she glared at the man child. "Is there a point to this? What are you looking for?"

Head rocking from side to side, Fred paused to give her a frown.

"He talked to you, you talked to him, and you had an actual conversation with him...that's what I'm getting at."

"So what? Big deal?"

"The deal GoGo, is Hiro never really talked to any of us. He talked _at _us, but he never really just...talked, at least not that I remember."

"That's not true, he talked to us plenty. Remember when we helped him with his mircobots? I don't think stopped to breath the entire time," GoGo smirked at the memory. A kid in a candy store had nothing on the boy when he was brainstorming something.

"No, he didn't, that's what I'm trying to say. Hiro didn't talk TO us he talked AT us. He told us what to do, what he needed or what he was trying to do, but that's not the same thing as actually _talking_ to someone. When he made our super suits it was pretty much the same thing, we told him what we wanted, and then he made it happen, yeah he even explained it but the only person I ever saw him really _talking_ to was Baymax."

GoGo frowned at that, recalling several times she and Hiro had spent the entire night talking about their projects. Hiro was brilliant, no argument, but he wasn't exactly creative. He duplicated things and improved on them, but he didn't come up with things of his own. Case and point his microbots, which were miniaturized duplicates of his Megabot, which in turn was a miniaturized duplicate of Robert Callaghan's frictionless articulation drone.

He had the ability to improve anything you showed him, could seemingly solve any problem needed to make something work, but there was a downside to that she had picked up on.

Hiro thought two dimensionally.

With her suit, his idea had been to mount a pair of miniaturized maglev wheels to a pair of boots. The theory was sound, and in testing they found it worked perfectly. The only problem was unlike everyone else, she had _zero_ offensive capabilities. That was why Hiro had been so insistent on making sure she had some form of armor to help protect her.

After the initial test where she used a nearby garden hose to entrap the Lee family's faithful butler Heathcliff, she pointed out this problem to the young genius, asking what she was suppose to do if they had to fight the Yokai anywhere other than someone's back yard.

Initially he had been stumped, as had she, but while toying with one of her maglev boots as she often did with her bike wheels when trying to think (pulling it away and letting go as if it were a magnetic yoyo) she had an epiphany.

The maglev discs would always return to their docking ports as long as they moved close enough to the polarity point. And while history had not been her best subject, even she remembered the stories of Captain America from back in World War II, how he used a Vibranium shield like a throwing disc as a projectile weapon.

She knew that she was onto something, she just didn't know how to make it work...which fortunately for her wasn't a problem as she had someone on hand who _could_ make it work. All she had to do was suggest attaching a second pair of maglev discs, this time to her wrists, and mention 'Captain America's shield'.

It took him an hour to rewire the auxiliary batteries in the armguards into the primary circuit and _create_ an interface along with an entire electromagnetic stabilizing system. Wanting to help out she spent that time crafting the second set of maglev blades using his updated schematics. Though she had snapped at Hiro when he tried to take _that_ over as well.

"Don't you get it? GoGo, he let you in."

Snapped out of her thoughts the teen turned her attention back to Fred.

"Let me in?"

"Yeah, well, that's what we Big's call it. It means he trusts you, problem is...well, look; you've got two choices here. You can do the smart thing, or you can do the right thing."

"What's the difference?"

"The smart thing would be to run like hell, find a private plane and fly it to Budapest, shave your head, change your name and live out the rest of your life in a monastery as a monk."

"And the right thing to do would be?"

"Use the fact that Hiro trusts you to help him. I'm not going to lie, he needs help, just from what you've told me, I'm willing to bet he's reached the point where he's so lonely that he's thankful just to have someone care he exists. The problem is that helping him is basically suicide. It hurts me to think it, but...I don't know if I could help him if I was in your shoes."

GoGo snorted and rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious! GoGo, I love kids, I hope that one day I'll have a bunch of my own, and my parents raised me to always help people whenever you can. But I also happen to know there are far worse things in life than dying. And I'm willing to bet these spooks...well..."

"Are you afraid or not? You seem to have a hard time deciding."

Fred frowned at the sarcasm that dripped from her voice.

"I said that I wasn't worried, not that I'm not afraid. I _*am*_ afraid, I'm terrified, but at the same time I know there's nothing I can do about this. If they want me, they'll come and get me, and there is nothing I can to about that. So yeah, I'm afraid, but since I can't really do anything about it I'm not going to worry about it...I'll just...try to do what I can to make them _*not*_ see me as a threat."

Rising from his seat, Fred took a moment to look around her bathroom while she was deep in thought. Just when she was about to ask him what he was looking for, he apparently found it.

Her trash can.

Setting it in the middle of the floor, he dropped the three folders into it, then took a small can of what looked suspiciously like lighter fluid and started squirting it into the trash can.

_"He can NOT be seriously thinking that I'm going to let him-"_ the unfinished thought was confirmed when Fred lit the lighter he had brought and dropped it into the trash can.

Gaping, her mouth closed when she noticed just how pensive Fred looked.

"I've got to get going...don't put that, let it finish on its own. Make sure there is *_nothing_* left okay?" Fred explained before offering a small, oddly sad smile. "Whatever you do, it's up to you. Just remember, if you help Hiro, you're putting a really big bulls eye on your back."

Frowning as he left, GoGo watched him leave, still not having got up from her seat as she watched the fire in her trash can burning away at its contents. Her attention drifted to the photo she had set aside of the young man that stole her bike, and after studying it for a moment she dropped it into the pyre as well, watching it shrink and shrivel as the flames consumed it.

* * *

><p>Running through the SFIT parking lot, Fred came to a dead stop when one of the car's lights flashed on and pulled out, cutting him off.<p>

Swallowing the nervous lump in his throat, Fred stood his ground and made no move to run or escape. Instead he waited until it pulled up. When a hand clamped down on his shoulder, he didn't even jump.

"Get in."

It was not a suggestion.

Several minutes later as the black car with tinted windows made its way through the nearly empty streets of San Fransokyo, Fred was mentally keeping track of every turn they made trying to figure out where they were going. He had an idea, and he didn't like it. The entire ride had been in silence, the driver seemed to have known where to drive them before he was told to get into the car.

Finally, the car came to a stop, and so did Fred's heart as he realized exactly where they were.

"Did you tell her?"

Swallowing thickly, Fred nodded, but quickly figured they wanted a _verbal_ response. It was difficult, but he managed to choke out a single word.

"Yes."

Several long moments passed without a sound passing between the car and its occupants. The same strong voice that had spoken earlier then made itself known once more.

"Did you warn her?"

Fred's heart skipped a beat.

"No," he croaked out, eyes still boring holes in the floorboard. In the back of his mind, he had never been so happy in his life that his father knew how to text as he had been right now.

Again the car was filled with silence, until finally a single word was spoken.

"Good."

The large man who had been sitting next to him opened the door and got out, though Fred didn't move a muscle. As he had told GoGo, he wasn't a moron, and while he was indeed afraid, he wasn't worried. His thoughts were brought to a halt when his door was opened and the large man instructed him to get out of the car.

Calmly and carefully Fred did as he had been told, and looked up.

They were parked in front of his home.

Once he was on the sidewalk, the large man got back into the cars back seat and closed the door behind himself before the car casually pulled away without another word.

Not that one was needed. Actions spoke louder than words, and these actions were louder than any cannon.

_We know who you are. We know where you live._

With shaky steps, Fred made his way into the house, closed the door behind him, and then promptly fainted.

* * *

><p>Emerging from her shower, more tensed and frustrated than she had been before, GoGo's mind was buzzing with everything that she had learned. The more and more she learned, the more she didn't like what she was finding, and the more questions there seemed to be.<p>

Something was going on, something big, and Hiro was right in the crosshairs. Along with her, and possibly everyone else.

With her towel wrapped securely, she made her way around the small dorm, setting everything back into its place. The chair Fred had moved, switched her TV back to English before turning it off, turned off her sink and switched off the garbage disposal she had poured the soaking wet ashes down before taking her shower.

_"I've already got two strikes against me...and even Fred..."_ GoGo shook her head. If there was anything that disturbed her above all else this night, it was Fred's admission that he would have left Hiro for his own sake. To hear that coming from someone that devoted so much of their time to helping others, volunteering wherever he could, left a cold and hollow feeling in her chest. There was no other way around it. Fred was afraid, the very same Fred that had not once been afraid during their entire short stint at Heroes with their lives on the line the entire time.

Returning to her room and changing into her night clothes, she considered what she did know, not what she thought, what she *_knew_*.

Hiro was alone. Hiro was hurting. Hiro was being isolated. Hiro was being watched like a hawk. She had a criminal record and nobody would bat an eye if she disappeared one day.

GoGo cringed at that thought and pushed it aside. She knew that wasn't true; there was _one_ person that would miss her. And that in turn was the problem.

_"After everything he's been through, and after everything he's done for me, do I really want to put that on him?"_

Returning to the living room, she pulled the cushions from her couch and set them aside, then pulled her 'bed' out and unfolded it.

_"Dad's been through enough already, and half of it's my fault. If anything happened to me..."_

A physical ache settled in her chest at the idea of her father simply not hearing from her one day. No reason given, no explanation, just like thin air gone without a trace.

Looking down, her hands clenched into fists as she gazed down into the hole left after pulling her bed out. To be more specific, at what was looking up at her from that hole.

_"But at the same time..."_

Bending over and reaching into the hole, her hands grabbed onto the item in question and pulled it out.

A flood of memories washed across her mind. Memories of a child, whose life had been nothing but pain, isolation, and misery. Closing her eyes she let the memories sweep her away, back to the past. A young girl who had no friends, who was treated like an animal by her classmates and as less than human by her teachers. Looked down on and treated like a criminal for something she had no control over, for no other reason than being who she was. Surrounded by people, but at the same time so completely alone.

Opening her eyes, GoGo ignored the tears in her reflection and instead focused on it itself. The short pigtails vanishing, her light brown hair turning black as night, their natural highlights turning purple and the fearful hollow eyes turning hard as stone.

Taking a deep breath, GoGo whispered under her breath, "Na-ege abeoji leul yongseo hasibsio. Geuleona geuneun deo dangsinboda jeoleul pil-yolohanda."

Setting the yellow and black helmet back, next to her armor and suit, she put her cushions over them.

* * *

><p>Stan's Soap Box<p>

Face Front, True Believers! It's time for some more questions from our readers! I apologize for this chapter taking so long, but I rewrote it three times before I was happy with it. I wanted it to be a bit dark, but it kept coming out as way to much angst for my taste and I had to keep toning it down. Also if anyone can figure out what GoGo said, it's a clue for many things to come. Suffice it to say there is quite a bit more to GoGo than meets the eye. But you'll have to wait and see to learn more about her past.

**grandpagohan1 chapter 2 . Mar 5: **This isn't bad. You got the characters down pretty good. And as a huge and ever-growing fan of HiroGo (yes, I do that amalgamation thing... don't judge me) I love a good story pairing them up, or even just moving them closer together. Although you do know Jamie Chung revealed GoGo's name to be Ethel, right? I assumed Tomago was her natural last name, buuuuuut since it's a corruption of a Japanese word and she's of Korean descent... yeah, that doesn't make much sense. Makes more sense Fred would assume she's Japanese and accidentally corrupt one of their words. Anyways... I know about Stan's Soap Box, so make me another cookie! Lol.

Glad you don't think it's bad and that you actually enjoy it lol. And for the record, HiroGo is the ship name, so no worries. The deal with GoGo's name is I wrote that chapter BEFORE her name was revealed and since I am drawing so much from the comics I went with her original name. Then they gave us 'that' name (which so far people are trying to ignore) and I had to come up with an explanation for it, even though like most I despise the name and prefer the original. It took a few days but I did, and it will be revealed/explained later in the story. She got a name change, but why and why THAT name you'll have to wait to find out. 'GoGo Tomago' was originally a password of sorts she used that activated her battle suit's Kinetic Reflection (basically she can reflect kinetic energy) and she adopted the nickname GoGo. Like 90% of everything else from the comics however this was ignored and they came up with their own ideas.

**That Weird Girl chapter 5 . Feb 19: **This story is pretty good! I love the Stan's Soapbox cameo (um, what else can I call it besides cameo?) and I love how you know what the character's would do. Love it!

Glad to hear you are enjoying the story! The Stan's Soapbox is a carryover from the comics, which I am largely using to fill in the MASSIVE gaps the movie left for pretty much everything. So I felt it was only right that I try to make this as 'comic book-ish' as possible, including the use of 'Issue#-' for chapter titles. I wouldn't say I know what the characters would do exactly though, just my own little versions of them. Still thanks again and hope you'll continue to enjoy this story!

**Urazz chapter 7 . Feb 19: **Glad you updated! I can definitely see Hiro and Gogo getting into minor trouble with how they behave together and be competitive towards each other. Maybe not any kind of major trouble but something minor that would get some laughs for us readers.

I'm hoping that Hiro will decide to attend SFIT soon but I think the Police or whoever is trying to watch him are going to have to be dealt with first. Keep up the good work.

As the bit above explains, this chapter was tricky and took quite a bit more effort than the previous ones. As for Hiro and GoGo, can't say too much without spoiling the surprises lol but I can say they are going to get into quite a bit of trouble, some legal, some...not so legal and I will be trying to play as much of it for laughs as I can of course. Humor is my favorite genre after all. Besides, teenage romance, there is going to be humor, mark my word!

Hiro attending SFIT is in the winds for what's to come, but again can't say much without spoiling. Though now you readers DO know just whose watching him ;)

That's all for reviews now, so I'll see you ladies and gents around. Until next time, Excelsior!


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